


Kindling

by KeanBlade



Series: Kindling on fire [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, Alternate Universe - Yokai, BAMF!Senju Tobirama, Don't copy to another site, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Ficlet Collection, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, Marriage Hunt, Mecha, Multi, Past Torture, Plot Bunnies with small teeth, Senju Butsuma's A+ Parenting, Senju Tobirama Needs a Hug, Suboptimalsibling!Hashirama, Time Travel, Uchiha Madara Needs a Hug, abusive Butsuma, idea repository, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2020-10-14 11:31:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 58
Words: 73,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20600066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeanBlade/pseuds/KeanBlade
Summary: Chapters of stories I may or may not continue, or: of all the ways Madara and Tobirama have found each other these are a few.





	1. See what changes with Snow

**Author's Note:**

> The idea repository, if there's one you are particularly interested in seeing continue let me know, no promises but I'm interested to hear. Also, I reorder the chapter every few months to make it easier to read- bunching story lines together mostly- so if you mark those in bookmarks be aware that chapter orders change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written before anything else I wrote on AO3, well before the red verse and therefore has nothing to do with red (yay early writing!)

Madara was well aware that everything about this picture was messed up; he didn’t even know what exactly was happening, all he know was that he hated the look on Tobirama’s face as Hashirama spoke to him.

The younger man was always cold- reserved to the point of utter blankness- but Madara had quickly learned that for all his cool blankness and frozen detachment on the battlefield he was every bit as passionate as his brother. Originally his intent observation of Tobirama had started because of Izuna’s narrow escape on the battlefield; it had been terrifyingly close and Madara always kept a close eye on his brother while he fought- Hashirama had never tried as that hard to kill him anyway, just to keep him busy so he couldn’t wreak havoc anywhere else- and Izuna and Tobirama had always been evenly matched. Izuna probably had a bit more chakra and had the advantage of the sharingan, but Tobirama was faster than hell, had chakra control like nobody’s business, and was clearly insanely smart (along with his reputation as a sensor of nonpareil) so as fast as Izuna could keep up with something Tobirama came up with the albino would then show up on the battle field with another brand new trick that had to be sorted out. Izuna was regularly struggling to keep up and Madara could see in hindsight that half of his brother’s fear of the Senju had really been fear of Tobirama’s intelligence- especially when combined with his seeming indifference to everyone around him; and it _was_ seeming- he was far, _far_, to good at hiding it, but he was deeply affected by the actions and feelings people around him. More even than Hashirama who’s emotions just bubbled off of him as soon he had them, Tobirama held his close and let them grow deep; like his chakra they grew stronger with careful tending and watchful use (but emotions aren’t chakra, they need space and need to see the light of day and other people), and Madara had very carefully avoided (well, once he stopped looking at Tobirama as the enemy) thinking about what exactly had caused Tobirama to think that he needed to be so cold and emotionless, because if they were still alive, well, they wouldn’t be alive for long.

So the fact that Tobirama looked like this, frozen- the way he looked on the battlefield when facing superior numbers- looking past Hashirama’s shoulder instead of at his face, was flat out wrong- Madara was reminded sickeningly of the way he felt when his father started to lay into him- so why was the albino looking like that with his brother? And for that matter there was a lot of things about the Senju brothers relationship that were strange; sometimes they seemed normal- well, as normal as could be expected with Hashirama involved- with Hashi hanging off Tobirama and pestering him constantly, with teasing and inside jokes, but sometimes it was…. Different. Hashi’s pestering happened a lot when the younger man was working on paperwork and it was frequently paperwork that came from Hashi’s desk, teasing sometimes made Tobirama freeze up like his brother’s words hurt and Hashi ever seemed to notice. Or the fact that Tobirama was so clearly not well taken care of, he had the faint washed out color of the unwell, was too thin and had deep circles under his eyes, his lips were chapped and chewed; it made Madara’s skin itch, he wanted to take Tobirama home and feed him before tucking him in bed to just fucking _sleep_ for a full eight or even ten hours (and yes ok fine, if he wanted to tuck Tobirama into Madara’s bed and maybe he wanted to wake him up with a blow job before feeding him breakfast no one had to know). It had gotten bad enough that Madara had taken to bringing treats to the tower and leaving them of his desk or handing them to him just before meetings when he couldn’t argue about it, he was _trying_ to be discrete but was self-aware enough to know that he didn’t do it very well; and if he was worried enough about it to take action then Hashi should have been in a flat-out tizzy, so the fact the he wasn’t was a bit…. Concerning.

It was also frustrating that Tobirama looked worse now in peace than he had when they were at war. Why?! Just why? Also, yeah, _no_, Madara was done watching whatever this was. He stood up from his desk and stomped his way out of his office (the door of which was basically always open, he believed in seeing what else was going on in the top floor of the tower as much as possible) not bothering to give the open doorway of the Hokage’s office even a cursory knock; Hashirama turned to look, brightening when he saw Madara- who completely ignored him and his open mouth- and stomped to the too quiet Tobirama who was looking determinedly out the window. He snagged the albino by his wrist and turned, stomping right back out, towing a strangly compliant Tobirama behind him; in the end was all he needed to make up his mind and just kept walking straight out of the tower, Tobirama gave a token protest about paperwork left undone but it was halfhearted at best so Madara just kept walking straight to Tobirama’s house (which, why wasn’t it in the Senju quarter? Tobirama said it was to be closer to the tower if he was needed- and he was close- but still…. Hashirama still lived in the family compound). He gave Tobirama an unimpressed look when he didn’t begin dismantling the wards and traps around his house right way- unhappy with the slightly glassy look in the albino’s eyes- before towing him into his house and sitting him down at the table unnerved by Tobirama’s continued docility; Madara surveyed the younger man for a moment and rolled up his sleeves as he began poking around the kitchen to see if there was anything he could make into a real meal, specifically a _hot_ meal.

Luckily the prosses of putting together food out of the rather hit-or-miss provisions in Tobirama’s pantry gave him a little time to gather his temper so he wouldn’t shout at Tobirama, it also meant he shrugged off the high collared Uchiha outer robe and eventually began looking for something to tie his hair back about the time he went to grill the fish (there was lots of fish available oddly enough, or maybe not- didn’t Tobirama have cat summons of some kind?). Madara only barely stopped himself from yelping undignifiedly when there was a light touch on his shoulder, blinking when Tobirama held up a thin length of red ribbon reaching for it only to have Tobirama gently turn him to face the fish again and began tying his hair back (Madara didn’t start blushing, he _didn’t_) before drifting back to the table. The silence between them became increasingly calm and easy as Madara’s anger abated and Tobirama seemed to come out of his fugue a little, even smiling faintly when Madara set bowls of food on the table, Madara nearly tripped and spilled food everywhere at the sight of the faint upward tilt to the younger man’s lips (oh _god_, what could he do to make that happen again. And could he make him smile, like _fully_ smile!? Maybe it would be good for that to wait, he wasn’t sure his heart could handle that.). Madara cleared his throat and focused on his own food until he could look at Tobirama without making a fool of himself; peaking through his bangs at the albino who was looking more tired than traumatized now and steadily eating his dinner (lucky, that was _not_ a given, Madara had seen him completely ignore food in front of him when stressed or distracted. Hence Madara being careful to bring things Tobirama liked to the tower for him so he wouldn’t turn it down) though he looked to be all but falling asleep. As soon as food was done Madara chivied him into the bath and then and then washed the dishes as the younger man showered, when Tobirama stumbled out of the bath wrapped in an old yukata, sleepy eyed and damp, Madara had to send him to bed right away so he could have a quiet breakdown in the kitchen, go why did he have to be adorable _and_ hot _and _smart _and _deadly, it wasn’t _fair_!


	2. Call to me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somehow Tobirama is the only person that sees how much Madara is hurting and is willing to do anything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written before anything else I wrote on AO3, well before the red verse and therefor has nothing to do with red (yay early writing!)

Tobirama absently scratched his fingers through Madara's long hair grimacing faintly as it got caught in a snarl, honestly, he needed to take care of his hair if he was going to keep it this long. He really needed to take better care of himself in general; about the time he had fallen asleep draped over Tobirama’s legs it had become obvious he had lost an unhealthy amount of weight sometime between the founding of the village and now. Tobirama had always thought of Madara as a particularly solid person; for all that he was a few inches shorter than Tobirama he outweighed the albino by several pounds, which made the fact that his weight across Tobirama's legs was manageable disconcerting. Combining that with the mess that was his hair, the disaster of his house (which in all fairness wasn't really a disaster just uncomfortably dusty with the look of long disuse), and the heavy circles under his eyes, was painting a picture of ill-health that made Tobirama _very_ nervous. _Why _had no one noticed before now? It made no sense that his clan would be so neglectful of their clan head, how had this kind of discord grown up amongst the Uchiha so quickly? And why hadn't Tobirama noticed? For that matter why hadn't Hashirama noticed? And he hadn't noticed, Tobirama would have heard about it if he had, what with the way his brother wailed and carried on any time anything was wrong he certainly would have heard if something as drastic was happening to Madara and Hashirama knew. 

Tobirama was well aware his brother could be more than a little neglectful of the people he avowed to love the most, always too focused on his large concepts of the greater good he had a tendency to overlook the emotions around him; something that had given Tobirama more than a little grief over the years, he didn't know how Mito lived with it honestly. And he was more than a little concerned about how it would go when children entered the picture; though if they were _lucky_ children would help Hashirama focus again on the people in his life. In the meantime, Tobirama had an unwell Uchiha to deal with. He needed to make a list; well, probably two. One of all the things that were distinctly wrong with Madara, (like excessive paranoia and the fact that his grief only seemed to grow stronger with time and not ease as it should) and one for all of the places Madara's support system _should_ have been there and hadn’t. Tobirama was too much a shinobi of wartime to not find something inherently suspicious in the systematic isolation of one of the most powerful Shinobi ever; but the question of who or why such a thing would be done- not to mention the question of how- nagged at him. 

Tobirama peered down at the dark head in his lap ... perhaps list-making would wait. Madara looked like he needed sleep too much for Tobirama to want to wake him up when he seemed comfortable; but it wasn’t in Tobirama's nature to sit long and do nothing, particularly when his mind was so troubled (why was it _Tobirama_ that had reached out? Why him of all people? Why had no one else done anything?). The albino sat tugging absently at the long dark hair- it was much finer than Tobirama had expected, which meant there was even more then he had anticipated- perhaps he could do something about this problem at least; Tobirama dug around in one of the pockets hidden in his short kimono shirt pulling out the small jar of his sun oil- it was annoying to have to slather it on so frequently but given that the alternative was the terrible sunburns he had gotten in his childhood he made to do- it smelled faintly of rose hips and wasn’t too heavy so it shouldn't be overly unpleasant in the older man's hair. The lack of a comb was somewhat annoying, but he would make do; if he got annoyed enough, he could always some in one of his leopards to go fetch it though they would undoubtedly be most displeased to be summoned for such a trivial task. It was a surprisingly pleasant task to sit and carefully untangle Madara’s fine hair; with the application of time- and the oil to tame the worst of the snags- it wasn't even as difficult as he had been afraid it would be; in fact Tobirama rather lost track of time as he focused on his task, trying hard to ignore the absent thought that it was going to be much harder to keep his hands out of Madara's hair now than it had been before (Tobirama would _never_ admit that it had always been somewhat difficult).

He was so absorbed that when finally done he was a little surprised to look up and realized the light in the main room had changed into the dimness of dusk. He frowned thoughtfully, before giving up and carefully biting his thumb to press it to the ground and summon one of his calmer leopards; when Akira appeared in a puff of smoke she took in the lack of battle with some surprise before butting her head companionably into Tobirama’s shoulder “Why have you summoned me cub?” Tobirama smiled, it really had been too long since he had called upon any of them, “I need some help with this one” he said gesturing down at Madara. Akira sniffed thoughtfully at his dark head before sneezing and pearing up at Tobirama “He is unwell,” she said seriously, Tobirama pressed his lips together before nodding “I know, I am going to do my best to do something about it.” the snow leopard nodded approvingly before sitting back on her haunches “What need to have you of me?” “Well, first if you would fetch a comb.” Tobirama said, as close to sheepish as he would ever be. Akira shot him a distinctly unimpressed look but stood gracefully and disappeared in the depths of the house. A moment later she returned with not only a comb but a hair tie as well, “It will stay smooth longer if you tie it back” she pointed out. Tobirama took the proffered items from her gratefully, ”Will you check the state of the kitchen? He needs to eat but I would rather not have to go to the market if I can avoid it.” She loped out of the room and Tobirama set to the task of carefully combing out and then braiding Madara’s hair. It was a fast task given how frequently Tobirama had helped Toka with her hair when they were young- it wasn't something she asked for help with anymore but there had been a time where they sat for hours and worked on learning new braids until she settled on a hairstyle she preferred. Akira slipped back into the room and shot Madara an approving look- Tobirama had settled on one of the more complicated braids he knew, a loose five strand fishtail that shouldn't pull overly hard on a sensitive scalp and cause a headache but would keep it out of his face. “There are the basics in the kitchen” Akira said, “nothing overly fresh though.” “We’ll make do” Tobirama assured her before focusing on the task of not waking Madara as he slipped out from under the older man. Akira sighed faintly “Let him lean on me” she said firmly, Tobirama shot her a surprise glance but gratefully shifted Madara off his lap and let the snow leopard take his place. Somewhat to Tobirama’s surprise Madara only stirred a little before settling down against the soft fur, “He is much too thin, you will go make him food” Akira ordered him imperiously, Tobirama snorted faintly but did as he was told and headed away to the kitchen.

As Akira had predicted the kitchen was rather less than optimally stocked but there was enough to make a simple meal of rice and miso soup. The lack of protein was frustrating, (what did Madara eat?!) but would have to do for tonight until Tobirama could get out to the market and get fresh ingredients. Clearly Madara could not be trusted to take care of himself, so Tobirama would simply have to do it until he figured out what was going on; (if that had the added advantage of keeping him away from the Senju compound for the foreseeable future, well, Tobirama wasn't going to complain) thus decided he set about making dinner and cleaning the kitchen determinately.

* * *

Madara was confused. And warm, which was definitely worth noting because it had been some time since he had woken up warm and calm; awoken not by nightmares but by the scent of food actually, he wasn't sure he'd ever woken simply to the scent of food since his father had died. He stirred, a little confused by the strange pull on his scalp and even more confused by the soft fur under his fingertips (fur?), he pulled back and stared bewildered at the white and black spotted fur underneath his cheek for a second before starting at calm voice “It’s good that you're awake” the snow leopard said (snow leopard?); why was there a snow leopard in his house? And it was definitely his house, he knew the smell and feel of it (cold and empty, none of the sense of home that he craved), actually right now he couldn't really smell it, all he could smell was something vaguely rose like and woody. Increasingly confused he dragged the heavy weight of his hair over his shoulder staring an absolute _bewilderment_ at the thick braid.

“What?” His hair hadn’t looked this nice in quite some time and it certainly hadn't ever been braided this well before, even when he had had- no, he wasn't going to think about that. Increasingly confused he stared the braid and then at the snow leopard who was beginning to look thoughaly amused, before looking around himself. “What…...?” before he had chance to ask a more intelligent question, he was startled by the appearance Tobirama in the doorway to the kitchen. “You’re awake. Good, dinner is almost done” Madara gapped him in confusion “Dinner?!” He spluttered, nothing made sense right now. The albino sent him an unimpressed look “Yes, dinner. Though it's not much, I will be refilling your kitchen tomorrow.” with that confusing statement he turned around and vanished into the kitchen again “Best do as he says” the snow leopard told him. Madara didn't think he had ever had a cat laugh at him before, but he was pretty sure that was what was going on here as the snow leopard made a quiet chuffing sound “Why did he make dinner?” “Because clearly you can't be trusted to take care of yourself” she said shooting him and even more unimpressed look than Tobirama had managed. “Now, off to dinner with you” as if on cue Tobirama appeared again and strode straight over to Madara leaning down and hooking a startlingly gentle hand around his elbow and tugging him to his feet. “It's time to eat.” Tobirama said before guiding Madara, his hand still strangely gentle, to the kiatsu and depositing him there with a bowl of rice and another of miso “As I said it's not much, tomorrow we'll make something more interesting.” Madara was confused. Very confused. “…...What?” “Food, tomorrow we will make something more interesting to eat, I know how to cook better than this.” “So do I” said Madara faintly offended “Well then why don't you?’’ Tobirama asked in what he probably considered a very reasonable tone of voice; Madara, who was more than a little off balance because of this strange sequence of events, just gaped at him for a moment unable to come up with a response that didn't poke at the looming pain in between them. At a loss for what else to do he turned to his food.

The meal passed in a surprisingly comfortable silence, especially once Madara realized that he really was quite hungry (he didn't notice Tobirama's approving expression when he went back for more); and after the meal Madara was more than a little confused to be gently ushered into his bedroom and told that he was to go to bed, especially when the snow leopard- whose name he still didn’t know- slipped in past Tobirama's legs and flopped down comfortably on the bed giving no indication that she intended to move anytime soon. Madara stood in the doorway and stared again (this was becoming a little too frequent for his comfort) until the snow leopard lifted her head “Do you intend to sleep in those robes? They don't look as comfortable as what you humans normally sleep in” Madara glanced down at his clothing and let himself be prodded into changing into a comfortable well-worn yukata and then into bed. At first he lay as still as possible unwilling to acknowledge Tobirama's summons- but before long the painful whispers started up again inside his mind and he curled up against the leopard, pressing his face firmly into the soft fur and finding somewhat to his shock that it lulled him into an easier sleep then he had had in a very long time.

* * *

Tobirama looked through the doorway it where Madara was curled up so tightly against Akira that he was barely visible as more than a twist of dark hair; Akira lifted her head and looked at him, he nodded firmly to her, understanding her silent assurance that she would keep watch over the Uchiha while he set about the task of figuring out what the hell was going on in the village.


	3. blood is the shadow of Regret (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hashirama learned a hard lesson at eleven and it almost cost him his brother. And Butsuma discovered that Tobirama's mind was powerful enough to give him what he needed to bring Fire country and all her clans to their knees. (Zetsu tries something different)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of red!verse, but goes AU so early that it might as well not be.

Mito had learned to hate Butsuma Senju. She didn’t hate the Senju as a whole, not really, she didn’t even really hate Hashirama or Tobirama Senju, but she _hated_ Butsuma; how could she not when she remembered the look on her mother’s face when the Uzumaki were forced to bow, not when she remembered her brother’s voice when Mito was taken away to the Senju compound in chains to be a vassal (slave). Life here had done little to reduce her hatred, not when she saw the situation of every clan that fought against them, not when she saw the ache in Inuzuka’s faces as they saw their dogs in choke chains, not when the entirety of Fire Country seemed to have been brought to heal. Even the Uchiha had been chained under seals that locked away all but the thinnest trickle of chakra and seals on their foreheads that had shut off their Sharingan not matter what they saw, all she could be grateful for was that only a handful of Uzumaki had been forced into servitude with her and that there was rather less physical abuse than she would have expected (truthfully they were probably lucky, they were servants and considered lesser- expected to serve at the Senju and their allies’ beck and call- and some were expected to fight for them, but it could be much worse).

* * *

Madara was learning patience. It was… hard for him, but he was smart enough to know that the only way his clan was going to get out of this was by playing the long game and being _careful_ until they knew enough to kill Butsuma and _get the fuck out_, he just had to make Izuna understand that. His little brother_ needed_ to learn to keep his head down and not loose his temper every time someone said something demeaning or he saw Tobirama; losing his temper would only lead to him getting whipped, something Izuna had only _barely_ avoided so far (well, most avoided, he had gotten hit pretty hard but never tied to a whipping post and Madara was counting that as a win) and only because for some reason (Hashirama?) over half the Senju were willing to turn a blind eye to most of the mouthing off and he hadn’t yet said something idiotic without them around. Madara was so _fucking_ lucky that Hashirama was still in some way the boy he had spent so much time with at the river, and so lucky that so many of the Senju seemed willing to listen to the words of the clan Heir; he may have seen very little of the man he had once called friend, but he knew that the body count on the Uchiha when they were defeated was so low only because Hashirama must have convinced his father to keep it that way, he knew that the fact that they weren’t treated worse must be Hashirama’s doing, must be his plan. After all, who else would care what happened to them?

* * *

Hashirama learned regret when he was eleven and his foolishness almost cost him his brother. It was idiotic what he did, turning on Tobirama in anger as soon as the were back at the compound, unable to think past his betrayal and disappointment as he yelled at his brother, “_Why_ did you do that?! Why did you tell Father? Always have to be a ‘good little soldier’ and go running to Father as soon as I have something I care about. Doesn’t matter that I _liked_ spending time with him! That talking to him made me happy, no you _have _to be a good boy and tell on me as soon as you can.” Tobirama had recoiled from him, a look of confusion on his small face “What? I- what are you talking about aniji?” he sounded so _stupidly_ like he didn’t understand and all that Hashirama could think about was that the one person that seemed to understand him was now an enemy. “You know what I’m talking about traitor!” he hissed and Tobirama’s red eyes look almost wet and off balance when he responded “But I- I didn’t tell Father, you- you’ve been meeting with him for _months_, of course I knew who he was, it’s in his chakra and that’s hard to miss, but Father- commanded me and Izuna followed him and I didn’t want you to get hurt by the other Uchiha.”

Hashirama was too shocked to know how to respond to that, and he didn’t even get a chance to; father had still been in earshot, Hashirama _hadn’t checked_ to make sure he was far enough away and Tobirama was too surprised to notice, so Butsuma heard, he heard and his anger was volcanic. One moment he was ahead of them on the path the next he was in front of Tobirama fury on his face as he looked at his youngest, “You _knew?!_ You knew that he was meeting with the Uchiha spawn for _months_ and you didn’t tell me? You lied to me about your range?! You betrayed me?!” spittle flew from his mouth as he shouted and he never gave Tobirama a chance to respond, backhanding the small boy hard enough to throw him sharply to the ground, bouncing off the path as he hit with a tiny breath of pain. And as Hashirama watched his Father, mad with rage, shouted at his (tiny) brother and kicked him once sharply in the side, and Tobirama- Tobirama whimpered only the finest sound as he dragged himself to his feet, staggering slightly as he tried to stand up straight; but there wasn’t surprise on his face, not really. A little startlement, but none of the shock that there should have been, and Hashirama realized abruptly how much time he spent away from his brother, how often had Tobirama been training with Father while Hashirama played with Madara? Why wasn’t Tobirama _surprised_?

Butsuma grabbed his younger son by his white hair and vanished into the main house and Hashirama, frozen with shock (he never _ever_ forgave himself for that), watched and did nothing. He didn’t see his little brother for six months.


	4. blood is the shadow of Regret (II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this follows the third chapter, I liked this universe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> special thanks to coudric who's fic 'Into these deep waters' I took inspiration from and who let me abscond with the idea for Tobirama's face tattoos. It's an awesome angst ridden story and has me flailing like Madara at the emotions

Mito was waiting, she knew how to do that and she knew that eventually she would have a chance; the Senju heirs may have been utterly terrifying on the battlefield, each of them so cleanly compensating for the others flaws that they were all but unbeatable (how did Butsuma keep them under his control? He may have been powerful but not more than them and yet he was able to bring them to heel), it was that teamwork that had brought down Izuna and Madara for all that shouldn’t have been possible. They _should_ have been too evenly matched for it to work, Izuna and Tobirama a balance and Hashirama and Madara perfect foils and any other matchup would lead to a decisive victory by the older brother and yet…. And yet the Uchiha had been defeated and neither brother had even been that injured in the fight. (It had been a master work of strategy and ruthlessness that took advantage of every ounce of information and power they had, wearing out the Uchiha brothers with what amounted to canon fodder shinobi- the idea of the Ghost they all said- while holding back themselves before engaging, a vicious tactics but one that _worked_ with very few Uchiha fatalities.)

* * *

Madara watched Hashirama move across the courtyard as he did every time he had a chance; if there was a way out if would be through Hashirama, he knew that even if this older version of his friend was so different than the loud bright boy he had know as children. That Hashirama had almost never talked about his last little brother, certainly not about who Tobirama was as a person, for all that he had talked about his other (dead) brothers, going on about what they were like but never really talking about the brother he had left. It had bothered Madara then, a little, but he had assumed it was some sort of thing where he wanted someone to talk to about the little brothers he wasn’t normally allowed to talk about but he had _seen_ how Hashirama had looked at his brother that day as the river, sharp anger and total lack of understanding then. But now? Now it was rare to see one without the other nearby and Hashirama revolved around Tobirama as much as the albino did around him; they stood close and talked softly, they both watched constantly but where Tobirama watched the others (watched the beaten clans) Hashirama watched Butsuma or their strange cold stepmother, always angling himself between his little brother and their father. Always watching each other’s backs here where they should have felt most safe.

* * *

Tobirama was thin and pale and newly eleven when Hashirama saw him next, and he flinched from his brother’s touch without saying a word; in fact he didn’t say a word for days, nodding and shaking his head when addressed and not even a sound of pain slipping past his lips when training got too rough. And Hashirama understood rough training now in a way he hadn’t before, having relied on his mokuton and its nigh-on unbeatable power to keep him from needing to much precision; but that didn’t work when father was bored and turned his need for his sons to be _perfect_ on his oldest for the first time. Now just being able to obliterate a target wasn’t good enough anymore, now he had to destroy it and nothing around it, and then part of it but not the whole thing and then the targets around it but not touch the one in front of him, and so on until Hashirama’s chakra coils _ached_. It was… wareing, and he suddenly understood Tobirama’s quiet and coldness a little better; it wasn’t just natural reserve- though that must have been part of it- it was that father had trained him (slimmer, albino, less chakra, water natured) like this since he was a child and that after a while you got so tired even emotion was too much work. After a while you became so sharp that everything else wore away and you didn’t know how to not cut, and Hashirama could see that now though he had so far avoided it.

He didn’t know all of what had happened to his little brother while Tobirama was gone, but he was even better with his chakra now than he had been, so precise that it almost _hurt_ (and Hashirama knew what it took to be that good now, like he never had before), and even more invested in books and his learning. He did know that Tobirama must not have been allowed to speak very much if at all because the first time he got his brother to respond (not by asking about Tobirama, no amount of pleading had convinced the albino to tell him anything) but by implying that he needed to know something to keep father off his back; Hashirama didn’t remember what it was now, all he remembered was the way Tobirama’s voice had cracked and broken, and rusting with long disuse (it _hurt_). And he did find out what the thin red lines on his little brother's cheeks were- lines he hadn’t had before he left- and it was the most horrific moment of Hashirama’s life when he saw Tobirama fall to the floor convulsing and unable to even scream when three hand signs made the tattoos _burn_ with a bloody sulphureus light.


	5. blood is the shadow of Regret (III)

Mito forced herself not to fidget- she hadn’t had trouble with that in years- as she knelt waiting, head demurely tucked down, letting her loosely styed hair hide the way she was watching people move around her (hide her _thinking_); Tobirama walked past her perched on the porch and waved a hand at her without even looking (Mito didn’t let her anger show on her face not even a tightening of her lips) “Come” he said disinterested “you will serve tea.” “Of course Senju-sama” she said demurely as the followed him into the man house, a little surprised to see him unbuckle his armor as he led her through the sprawling house into the wing he and his brother shared. He led her into a spacious warm room with folding doors on two walls that were tucked back to open it onto an engawa and a beautiful private garden covered in water features; a soft clink made her turn back to the Senju, a little startled to see the albino hanging his armor on a stand near the door and his sword on another (confident wasn’t he? Though, she looked at the garden, he probably could be here), “There is someone with the tea at the door” he said evenly; there was no knock but when she opened the door there was a tray in front of it, the servant that must have brought it gone.

* * *

Madara looked at Mito as she brushed out her long hair (he was still shocked that the leaders of so many clans were given leave to live in one longhouse together, surely they were concerned that they would talk? On the other hand it wouldn’t do to have them live with their clans either) the Uzumaki had a thoughtful look on her face and her strokes were slow and easy, “Mito?” he prompted “Tobirama called me to serve tea today” she said mildly; Madara frowned, it was a little demeaning to ask a princess to act as a common servant, but she seemed thoughtful, not angry, “And?” he asked, frowning, this was the first time either of the Senju brothers had asked for anyone specifically as far as he knew. “hmmm, he was speaking with the Sarutobi clan heir,” she dropped her brush and looked him in the eyes “they were talking about trade routes.” Madara stiffened, that might _sound _like nothing but- “About trade with the _Sarutobi_? But that’s…” she smiled, just a little cat curl on her lips “I know. Speaking about trade in front of _me_…. I know Tobirama can’t be so stupid as to think that I won’t use that.” Madara nodded, if there was one thing eveeyoy knew about Tobirama it was that the man was frighteningly intelligent “He did it on purpose.” Madara murmured.

* * *

Hashirama was shaking as he picked his brother up off the floor, stealing glances at the door Father had left through, terrified that he would come back; he cradled Tobirama’s thin (tiny) form to his chest as he ducked back to their wing- he didn’t want anyone to see his brother like this, what if they figured out how to do it as well? what if Father got angry again?-, blowing out a relieved breath when Tobirama whimpered faintly “hold on little brother” he whispered desperately “hold on”. (It was the first he nursed his brother through the aftermath of the cursed seals, but not the last.) Tobirama lived, and two days later Father called him to training as if Tobirama hadn’t been shaking in Hashirama’s bed barely able to move since Father activated the seals; and Tobirama went, both of them forced to bow to the helplessness of their situation and Hashirama once again scraped him off the ground after Father was gone (Father’s attention was turned to Tobirama again- though Hashirama wasn’t allowed to go back to his old freedom- and Hashirama would do _anything _to get Father to leave his little brother alone).

He was just fourteen when Father remarried, the Lady Kagura was a lovely cold faced woman with dark eyes and long pale hair, her skin a warm tan that fit well in the Senju, but she was… strange. There was something about her that was just _wrong_ and Hashirama was positive of this when Tobirama was introduced to her; when his little brother touched one warm colored hand he went white as a sheet, what little color he had fleeing even as he shrunk back from her, snatching back his hand like she had burned him. Father’s eyes were _furious_, the last time Hashirama had seen him look like that- “Leave us” Butsuma snapped and the room emptied of all but the Senju and their new member “You _dare_, you _dare_ disrespect my wife?!” he hissed, Hashirama moved forward, desperate but- the lines on Tobirama's cheeks flared to life for the fourth time that Hashirama had seen and he crumbled. Hashirama forced himself to stay still- he couldn’t interfere that would make it worse- but Father had never gone this far before, never held it so long “Butsuma, it was not so big a thing” the new Lady Senju said apathetically “let him go, I wish to see my new home.” Father snarled but let the jutsu drop, escorting his lady out on his arm as Hashirama tucked his little brother as close as he could get. (Tobirama disappeared again after that, for three months he was gone and when he returned that was a new stripe of red, this one traveling down his chin to end on his breastbone, so very close to his _heart_)


	6. blood is the shadow of Regret (IV)

The third time Mito was called to serve tea for Tobirama she was unsurprised to see yet another seemingly minor meeting taking place in the tea room, yet another meeting that looked on the surface like a demeaning place to have a former princess act as a servant and yet gave her information she could never get on her own; and if Tobirama wasn’t totally aware of what he was doing she would eat her slipper. What _was_ surprising was that just as the meeting with the merchant was wrapping up Tobirama’s head tipped and without looking he called to the door (not loudly, the younger Senju heir never played at being anything other than a powerful shinobi even when it made everyone else uncomfortable) “Come in brother, my meeting is done.” The merchant opened his mouth, met the cool red stare and though better of what ever he was going to say, bowing and rushing past the tall, handsome oldest son of Butsuma on his way out. Hashirama smiled, large and sunny and like nothing Mito had never seen, “Little brother! You must stop scaring the civilians before they refuse to trade with us completely!” he said brightly, throwing himself to the floor to sit next to his brother, who was giving him a long-suffering look (they were… so _different_ here, watchful yes, and somehow more hurt even as they relaxed slightly) “Hashirama” said the younger chastising before dismissing her with a wave.

* * *

Madara frowned as he watched over his clansmen training in one of the main courtyards, it wouldn’t do to have the army of conscripts unable to fight after all, and it wasn’t like they could access more than the faintest trickle of chakra anyway; Madara brushed a finger over the seal inked on his forehead with a bitter grimace, the knowledge that the sharingan was locked away behind it sitting bitter on his tongue as it always did. He didn’t forget the cold words of the younger Senju as the brush moved over Madara’s skin _“If you want it off all you have to do is say please”_ _the room was cold and dim, the only light a flickering fire in a corner, besides him Izuna struggled inside the wooden restraints, voice silent from a seal on his throat after the first time he insulted Butsuma. The demon drew back, his face every bit as cold and taunting as his words and Madara **snarled** “The day I beg you for anything is the day I die, freak” he hissed bitterly, anger and fear writhing inside him; _in retrospect he probably shouldn’t have said what he had, but… he had been upset and afraid and Izuna had been _right next to him_ and would have been easy to kill for _his_ words so Madara had tried to hit first, to get them focused on him. Tobirama had seemed unmoved by his words and - a loud yelp pulled Madara out of his thoughts just in time to see a large guard- one of the half of the Amatchi that had sided with the Senju in the war- grab Kagami’s arm, shaking the small boy with an expression that was half anger half glee, Madara lunged forward- he _knew _that man’s reputation and wouldn’t let that happen to Kagami- only to be stopped by an arm around his waist, he snarled, turning on the Hatake that was holding him with fury in his eyes. “Watch” she hissed and he turned back and- a flash of blue white and red and the man crumbled slowly to the ground, Tobirama Senju standing in front of him a slightly displeased look on his face “I did warn him” he said slightly absently before looking around at all of them with a cold look in his eyes “I do not like having to repeat myself.”

* * *

Hashirama never knew what it was to hate until he was held his shivering silent scared brother as close as he could after he returned for the second time, until he learned how to wrap his chakra around Tobirama so the younger boy could stand being in the room with Kagura- though having to do it for too long still left him pale and feverish-, until he saw the way their Father spoke about Tobirama as little better than a pet, until he forced his brother to stop washing his hands over and over and over until they were bloody and raw after Tobirama returned from the labs Father had set up; it infuriated Hashirama to see the way Father used Tobirama’s brilliance against him, forcing his youngest to use his inarguable brilliance to create terrible, _terrible_ weapons to unleash on the other clans. The first to fall to Butsuma with a weapon that Tobirama created were the Yamata no Orochi, proud and faithful and brilliant but small and they refused to bow; Father wiped out half of their clan with a chakra bomb and his army killed over half of what was left, the fact that the whole clan wasn’t wiped out was only because Hashirama told Father that they might make useful lab assistants for Tobirama. It had saved some of them, but not enough and the only consolation was that making another bomb was all but impossible as it had used an heirloom from their stepmother, she had been furious when she found out that he had used it on a clan as small as the Yamata no Orochi and refused to see or speak him for a month; Butsuma used the seal on Tobirama twice in that time and almost killed him the second time when he activated the third mark, that was when Hashirama _knew_ that their Father had created a kill switch on his youngest living son.

Hashirama had slept next to his brother for days, awaking at the slightest chakra fluctuation to pour as much power into Tobirama as he could, the albino had lived but only just and Hashirama could never forget that. The day their stepmother let Father see her again was also the day that Tobirama pulled him aside and told him quietly that their father had been working on a way to give himself a bloodline, (had talked about finding a sharingan and was only dissuaded by Tobirama asking if that meant that he though the Uchiha were more powerful- that was what had led to Father using the third mark) so it was only a matter of time before he had something strong enough that he went after the Uchiha, so they _needed_ to talk about a way to keep the whole clan from being killed; to keep Madara and Izuna from being killed (it was also the first time Hashirama had realized what Madara meant to his little brother, realized that it was Madara’s chakra that Hashirama had felt his brother reach for sometimes when Hashirama couldn’t help enough, he had bee _so _relived to know Tobirama had that. Right up until he realized that their Father would never spare the Uchiha unless they could trick him and Tobirama might lose the safety Madara was to him- Hashirama refused to let his little brother lose anything more). And when they met the Hatake on the battlefield, the two of them had entered the fight early and devastatingly, pinning the clan leader to the ground as Hashirama leaned down to her “_bow,”_ he had whispered “_bow and live another day until you can run free. Bow and hide your teeth in wait or everyone will die”_ she had listened (gods know why, Hashirama had not been very convincing) and the Hatake had lived. And later, when they were better at hiding, at planning, at saving while letting everyone think they were killers, the Uchiha survived as well.


	7. blood is the shadow of Regret (V)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> senroh, I wanted to post something cheerful for you but this bunny was chewing on my foot. But fluff soon! (I hope...)

Mito had a woman’s pride; deep and true as any fjord, but settled and swift as any fire, overwhelming and swirling as the wind but firm and sure any mountain, she didn’t need tell the world of her strength and like any of her sex she knew the power that came from perfect submission (there was so much to be gained if they thought you would spread your legs at their whim), she knew that bowing and kneeling and holding her tongue and speaking softly would get her farther than any jutsu, and she knew that Tobirama must trust her knowledge (it worried her a little, too see the dark twin of her power in red eyes, she…. liked Tobirama- how could she not after sitting in on meetings almost everyday he was in the compound and watching him through her hair- and it worried her to see that he knew her. He knew that she was playing dead and he himself didn’t seem to be playing). He had to trust that she would play at being a broken spirt, if he didn’t than letting her get away with what she was would be insane, not when it was so clear that _something_ was going on in the Senju main family. It was with that in mind that she sat demurely in front of the sliding doors to the room of small water, she had been called to Tobirama’s presence a while ago and had been waiting ever since; movement made her peek up a bit through her hair just in time to see that tall figure of the clan heir storming down the hall standing at his true height the way he almost never did and with a dark sharp edged look in his face he swept past her without even a look. The doors slid open roughly and she had a chance to see into the dim room where she could almost make out a slim shape on the floor and a dark metallic scent before the door slid shut and hid both brothers again; Mito smiled a little behind her hair, it seemed they were determined to underestimate her and however she might be growing to like them they were still the enemy so she felt no shame at all for stretching chakra- the thin trickle she had- to her ears and to slip past the silencing seals (she had been a sealing master longer than she had been anything else).

Feet moving over the floor and a soft hiss of breath, “Tobi… you can’t keep doing this” Hashirama’s voice was tight with worry (she frowned), a cough “What would you have me do? Things are moving faster now.” The younger Senju’s voice was a shaking ruin (that scent, not- not _blood_ right?) and there was a sharp inhale. “Well, it could be worse, at least it’s mostly clean and physical” Hashirama sounded defeated, something Tobirama must have noticed “We’re not out yet, it can still work. We can still keep our Promise” his voice was gentle with his brother and there was a hitching breath like a sob (….what?) “I **hate** this” the older Senju’s voice was bitter and twisted in on itself, almost hidden under the sound of fabric moving and the soft clink of a jar. “You’re about to hate it more” Tobirama said, sounding tired; Hashirama hummed a little and for a moment there was nothing (tending to wounds?) “What happened?” he asked after a minute and Tobirama’s voice was cold and perfectly calm as he replied “He is starting to wonder what I am doing with Mito. He doesn’t think forcing her to act like a maid is _demeaning_ enough- _ow!” “_Sorry, sorry little brother, I’m sorry-“ “-it’s fine, I like her too. He must have been speaking with Her again to get so angry, She’s not happy with him at the moment.” “_Tobi-!_” “Hush, it’s not that bad. Right now it’s just about Mito, I – I told him I was keeping her untouched for you.” Dead silence, shifting fabric “I’m_ sorry_ brother.” Tobirama’s voice was shaking a little “you know he would never think it of me, not after – well. It was the only way to get his attention off of her and it’s hard enough to keep him away from Madara and Izuna and after the thing with Kagami I can’t – I just – “ the younger Senju sounds like he was going to have a panic attack Mito realized with horror. “Shh, hush little brother, it’s ok, I’ll figure it out, she’s smart, she’ll play along, I’ll take care of her, you need to take care of you.” Tobirama started to protest “_No_ Tobi, you’ve taken on too much, I’ll-“ a sigh “damnit I wish Madara could get a muzzle on his brother. I hate seeing you stick your neck out for the brat like this.” there was no real anger in Hashirama’s voice, just _deep_ exhaustion and an edge of defeat that Mito feared.

* * *

Madara was a smart man for all that his temper and tendency towards flailing hid it sometimes (something he had never bothered to fight too hard; it was useful to be underestimated) and he could see that there was something going on here he didn’t understand. There was the way his clan had been defeated with so little casualties- the way most clans had been once Hashirama and Tobirama started taking the field together and keeping their father off it, before that….-, the way that most in his clan remained unharmed- especially the children who were protected by some nebulous threat that no one talked about-, the way Mito was brought into information gathering sessions disguised or not, the way that Hashirama watched his father and step-mother; so yes, there was something going on her underneath the underneath (the way the Hatake were silently devoted to the Senju brothers). And it _worried _him to not know what was going on, how was he supposed to keep his people safe with so little information? (when her his people started having red hair and gray, when did his people start including Hashirama again? When did he start to wonder about dark red eyes?) (when did he start worrying when he saw that _look_ on a pale face, saw it as the slim figure turned from the crying Kagami and his eyes flicked over to Madara, _when?_)“You’re concerned about something.” Mito’s voice brought him up out of his thoughts and he looked up from the small dark head in his lap (Kagami had been having nightmares again, Izuna thought they were of Tobirama Madara knew better) raising an eyebrow at her distracted look, “What kept you out so long?” he asked quietly as she moved to the table shoved against the wall next to her bed and began untying her hair.

She hummed thoughtfully, collecting her words as she sometimes did before speaking, Madara waited with the patience servitude was teaching him “Every time I think I have figured out a little of what’s going on I seem to see a new tunnel, it is… frustrating to find myself so constantly reminded not to make assumptions.” He frowned following her hands as she brushed her hair out (he missed wearing his hair loose but it had become very clear after the first days here that that was a bad idea and he wore it in a knot of loose braids at the base of his neck now, however much in annoyed him to have it coming undone all the time) “What happed?” he asked. She sighed and set down her brush to face him, “I… don’t really know. So I’ll tell you what I do know first. Butsuma is getting angry that I’m being treated so well and confronted Tobirama about it so the brothers decided that it would be best to try and convince everyone that I’m sleeping with Hashirama.” Madara jerked, anger slashing through him- _he had thought better!-_ before she waved her hand, nothing but faint confusion on her face “It will be a little annoying to have to deal with the jeering but it’s not like he’s going to try anything. Told me that he expects me to sleep in his rooms every few nights and he would send for me when he needed, I gather he is trusting my ability to put the pieces together and keep my mouth shut about what goes on- or doesn’t- behind closed doors.” Madara pressed his lips together unhappy, but there wasn’t anything to be done really and this was better than gaining to much attention form Butsuma (and it fit better with the Hashirama he thought he knew). “What else is there?” he asked, she rubbed her fingers together, looking worried “I… I don’t really know. I _think_ that Butsuma hurt Tobirama, _badly_,” she snorted “whatever happened Tobirama was _badly _wounded and - Madara you _have _to do something about Izuna. Apparently Tobirama is the only thing keeping your brother- and your clan- safe.”

* * *

Hashirama adored his brother’s brilliance and hated it in equal measure, but he hated more the way Tobirama was beginning to agree with him. He remembered he had hummed and curled farther around his sobbing brother (dry almost silent sobs though they were) trying to give some comfort “You could do anything” he had whispered, holding tighter. “It’s my _fault_, if I hadn’t-“ “_NO_” Hashirama had snapped and then forced his voice gentler “no Tobi, you didn’t- you did the best you could.” “I gave him the weapon he used to kill the entire clan when he ‘didn’t like the way they looked at him’ how is that not my fault?” and Hashirama hadn’t known how to make his brother understand that he could only mislead their stepmother for so long, that it wasn’t his fault that the monster seemed to know far more that it should about how to take something apart and put it together again _wrong_, that it wasn’t Tobirama’s fault when the things their Father forced him to discover in the labs he used to love were used to hurt (Tobirama might be older now but he was still so _thin_\- still so tiny to Hashirama- and so hurt, how was he supposed to keep father away from what he wanted?). The day the Kurama clan was whipped out with Father’s abomination on a bloodline Tobirama had tried to kill himself, shattered by the pressure he was under and the abominable guilt that Hashirama couldn’t seem to lift (Hashirama never forgot what it was like to find his brother- already in pain from Father’s punishment for trying to get in between the clan and him- sobbing in a pool of blood _“I killed them, I killed them, I killed them, I killed them,”_ and then softer and full of despair _“he could never care about a monster_”) and on that Day they made a Promise, a Promise to replace a dream (a shity deal in Hashirama’s mind but it meant his brother was alive, <strike>for now</strike>).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question, should I add an index chapter?


	8. blood is the shadow of Regret (VI)

Mito smiled at Hashirama, watching the man flail around the room as he tried to figure out how to not insult her and also discus what needed to happen without actually _talking _about it, Hashirama had no idea how to do subterfuge the way his brother did and Mito thought it was _adorable_. “What need do you have of me Senju-sama?” she asked, unable to resist tormenting him a little; he froze, mouth flapping a little as he stared at her with huge doe eyes (she _must not _coo at him, not matter how cute he was) and visibly searched for words “Uh….” he said blankly. Mito raised an eyebrow, watching him squirm “uh, um, I mean, um” she was torn between stringing him along (he was _cute_, but he was also part of the reason she was here and she was shinobi enough to still want to hurt him for that) and helping him figure out how to make this work without having to talk about it – the way that Tobirama always managed to leave it ambiguous as to whether he was helping them or not. “Do you wish me to serve tea for you as I do for your brother?” she asked sweetly, taking a little joy in poking at him right up until she saw a dark look flash over his face at the mention of his brother “Tobirama has many things on his plate” he said a little stiffly, and then shook himself trying to shake off the stiffness and shooting her a apologetic look “he said that you were pleasant company” aaannnddd then his eyes went _huge_ as he put together what he had implied with the hour of the night. Mito winced a little, feeling a bit bad for making things so hard for him after what she had heard a few days ago “I have never minded serving him” she said more gently, only to frown when he grimaced a little and stiffened; “I do not think I have ever heard anyone says such a thing about my brother” he said, voice raised a little and Mito felt her eyes go big, did someone listen in on the Senju brothers even _here?_

“He is a – stern man” she said softly and Hashirama relaxed a little; Mito eyed him for a minute- he was a handsome man and a good one as far as she could tell- before standing and walking over to him, sinking down in front of him and tucking his hair behind his ear with a faint smile (she wanted to purr at the look on his face). She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his ear, “I don’t mind a little kissing, leave a few marks on my neck and I wont mind” she told him softly, far to quietly for anyone but him to hear; he swallowed hard, pulling back and searching her face for a moment, kind eyes serious until she touched his cheek and his face relaxed in relief. He was gentle and slow as he kissed her, lingering and cautious and so, _so_ careful of her; she sighed and twisted until she could sit in his lap, stroking his hair as they kissed (he was a good man). It was a long time until they drew back and then only when he began to shiver as she wrapped her arms around him, she sighed and coaxed his head into her neck holding him gently as he cried into her shoulder biting the cloth there in an attempt to keep himself silent as he sobbed (how long had it been since he had been able to cry? Or been held in anyway? How long had he had to hold himself together?); it frightened her a little, this was the deep sobbing of a desperate man, of hope long worn down to nothing.

* * *

Madara watched Tobirama carefully, side eyeing him as the Uchiha head chopped wood - he had long since gotten used to the heat of the sun on his skin, and was _deeply_ grateful for the cream that had appeared outside their homes and kept his kin from painfully burning under the to strong sun, which, Madara paused, wiping his forehead as he turned to look at the pale Senju (Tobirama jerked his eyes away almost too slowly, forcing himself to ignore the stunning Uchiha shirtless), the _pale_ Senju, the Senju Madara had never seen with the burns even when skin like that should burn _extremely_ quickly; and what were the chances that there was a way for Tobirama to keep his skin safe and also a cream that the Uchiha were given out of nowhere? He might not have believed it if it weren’t for what Mito had said about Tobirama protecting the clan and what he had seen as he watched ever more closely but as it was he noticed; he noticed the Senju that were quietly doing their best to help all seemed to orbit around the Senju brothers and Tobirama in particular, the way no children were ever hit and anyone that tried showed up later _covered_ in bruising having been used for a sparing partner by the vicious younger Senju, the way the Hatake seemed to watch Tobirama anytime he was in view, tracking him the way a pack does their alpha and while they reacted similarly to Hashirama it wasn’t as pronounced. Add that to the way Tobirama always seemed to be between his clan and his father and Butsuma’s allies and it painted a picture of a man doing his very best to protect the people he could; the only problem was the labs, everyone know that it was Tobirama’s labs that produced the monstrous power that Butsuma wielded (though everyone knew that he almost never wielded it, preferring to send his sons- which was an interesting thing on it’s own) and yet the few men and women that helped in the lab always deferred to Tobirama with clear respect and affection.

Across the courtyard Tobirama shifted, pale hair moving with the breeze and catching Madara’s eyes for a long moment (whatever else Tobirama was he was certainly a stunning man); Madara frowned thoughtfully down at the wood he was cutting, this whole thing was so tangled up and Madara _hated _it, this wasn’t his preferred mode of operation- he had always disliked subterfuge- but then again there was _nothing_ about this that was how he might have wanted. He snorted, stretching his back (Tobirama nearly swallowed his tongue and put his back to the Uchiha) and looking around for Izuna and finding his brother hunkered down next to the water trough staring at the ground with a sulky look on his face; Madara sighed, as good a time as any he supposed, and headed over to the younger Uchiha. “Izuna” he called softly, Izuna’s head snapped up his expression lightening into a please smile “Brother!” he said (softly, thank the fire); Madara smiled despite his frustration, he saw so little of his brother these day with them being housed in different buildings that any chance to speak was something Madara cherished after over six months mostly apart, “How are you?” he asked quietly as he pumped water into the bucket set out for them to drink from. Izuna scowled down at his feet (…why wasn’t he working? And how was he getting away with it?) “I hate this” he muttered; Madara sighed, “I know ‘zuna, but you’ve got to get better at playing along” Izuna’s temper flared, glaring darkly up at Madara “_Why?_” he hissed “Why should I make it any easier for then too treat me like shit?!” Madara lashed out fast than his brother could see, whapping him on the back of the head sharply “_Shut up_, the only reason you’re not dead is because the Senju brothers” (best not to mention Tobirama) “are getting involved on your behalf. But you acting like a _dick_ is putting them at risk” Izuna’s face scrunched in anger and Madara slashed his hand through the air, keeping his voice down only though the knowledge of how bad it would be for Tobirama if they were caught “and it’s not just them Izuna, we’re working on a way to get out of here and you’re putting that at risk. You need to cut it out and keep your head down” Izuna ducked his head with a petulant look but didn’t argue.

* * *

Hashirama shivered, he was nineteen and his brother was curled next to him in the encampment of those sent out to beat the Nara into submission. Honestly he had thought that the pragmatic clan would agree to ally with Butsuma rather than fight and run the risk of the annihilation that had happend to the Hōki family (they were all gone now, the whole family wiped out and both he and Tobirama had played a part in that) but they must have had more pride than he thought; or more optimism. Tomorrow they were going into battle and could only hope that the clan head would bow and live rather than ask their entire clan to die; Hashirama hoped, hoped _desperately_, that they would, he couldn’t bare it if he had to do something like that again and he knew Tobirama- though he bore it better than Hashirama- was wearing down under the pressure. “I think sometimes that he is the only person that can kill us” Hashirama murmured, not having to look to know that Tobirama was listening; the albino hummed “Possibly, though Madara might be able to if our plan doesn’t work. but I think we can get him, all we have to do it go after Izuna after all” Hashirama grimaced, he disliked this idea; using Izuna as Madara’s weak spot to get both to surrender make his skin itch but they had to few options for anything else to work. Hashirama dragged his fingers through his little brother’s hair, scratching at the nape of his neck “It will all be alright” he murmured looking up at the cold cruel moon “it’ll all be alright.” (his brother didn't call him out on the lie)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so for now I am going to continue posting how I have been (though I'll try to figure out how to put links in) but I will also set up stories for 'blood is the shadow' and 'as I follow you' and post new chapters there as well as here in case someone wants to read those more easily.   
We'll see how that works for now


	9. blood is the shadow of Regret (VII)

Mito hid her laughter behind her hand and long sleeve, tucking her amusement away as she watched Madara follow Tobirama’s slow kata with fascinated eyes; she did understand really, he was a _lovely_ man, but it was entirely too entertaining to watch Madara be so transfixed- and it was getting worse, as if after he had started realizing that Tobirama was helping his clan he suddenly became aware of how exotic looking the younger Senju- not that she should really be laughing, after all she was having enough problem of her own keeping her eyes off of the older brother, though at least _she_ could excuse it to knowing that Hashirama was a rather fantastic kisser. Not that she was allowed to show her appreciation anywhere Butsuma could see it, around him or those that would report to him she had to do her best to look subdued and angry; it wouldn’t do for the bastard to know that she was anything other than beat down and broken not matter how she really felt, but for now, in an yard empty but for a few guards she was fairly sure reported to Tobirama and the a few Hatake and Uchiha (there couldn’t have been more than ten people in the dusty yard) with Madara resting near by on his heels in the shade until he was needed to carry Hashirama’s armor again (an insulting but harmless task that Mito had suggested that let him be closer the Senju brothers, Butsuma loved it) she felt safe to look less than broken. Tobirama slipped under his brother’s arm with a slow breath- she had never seen anyone else do this achingly slow kata as a pair so that it was a strange sort of spar- and Hashirama twisted his fingers in his brother’s kimono shirt; the younger Senju made a dissatisfied sound but twisted slowly out of the garment leaving him in a thin white undershirt that clung to every muscle and teased more brilliant red lines. Next to her Madara made a strangled sound under his breath, eyes huge where he watched Tobirama; Mito smirked and leaned over, tapping his chin with her finger ”Close your mouth dear” she murmured “you’ll catch flies” his mouth snapped shut and he short her a mulish look, she giggled behind her sleeve but let him be. (which was good, Hashirama lost a layer next and she almost swallowed her tongue, why had she never watched this before?)

Mito smiled as the brothers drew to a stop, murmuring to each other for a moment before Hashirama trotted over to her and the tea she sat besides (it was a good idea for a task, make her sit in the sun and wait on his pleasure to serve them tea) “Tobira wants to do one more” she glanced past him to were the younger man was stretching (and fought down a smirk at Madara’s glazed eyes) “do- I mean, it’ll be a bit longer” (Mito wanted to laugh at his attempts to be commanding and cruel, but it just… wasn’t funny when she remembered that Tobirama had to do the same and why) Mito nodded serenely and Hashirama trotted back to his brother (mmm, he should wear his hair pulled up more without that heavy robe, it was a _wonderful_ view walking away) talking for a second before both men settled into another set of forms and started moving. For a while she sat in a pleasant daze until there was sudden chill and Tobirama went stiff and sharp edged, the Senju brothers turned to the house just as the door opened and bowed shallowly together “Honored stepmother” Hashirama said lowly, shifting in front of his brother a little as he stood (Tobirama shifted back, in another man Mito would have called it _shrinking_); Lady Kagura with her blank lovely face stared at both of her stepsons “I have need of your help Tobirama” she said (Mito shivered, there was something _wrong_ about the woman) and Hashirama’s eyes went wide “Honored stepmother, surely there’s nothing-“ “I said that I needed Tobirama, I am sure that he has no problem assisting me? If he does I am sure Butsuma will be willing to listen” (Mito was surprised at the heavy handedness of the threat) Hashirama’s jaw went tight and hard but Tobirama stepped around him “I would of course love to help you honored stepmother” he said. She smiled a rotten smile and lifted long hands fingers flicking through threes signs- Hashirama made a tight strangled sound and Tobirama’s eyes went wide with _fear_\- “I am sure you would” she said “join me in the house” and her hands slid into a forth sign as she turned to leave.

* * *

Madara’s entire body twitched as Tobirama made a sharp agonized sound, Hashirama spun to his brother, face white as his brother’s skin, but whatever had happened was already passing; Tobirama leaned into the older Senju for a second before pushing back and standing straight, face hidden by the shadow of his wild hair. Madara hesitated and then stood, picking up a glass of water from next to a tight lipped Mito and walking over to the brothers catching only a snippet of their words as he approached “-I don’t want you to be alone with her-“ “I don’t see how we have any choice, this isn’t the battle to fight Hashi” “-I” Madara cleared his throat and both turned to him (he didn’t like the look of the tightness around Tobirama’s eyes or the faint glassy sheen to his eyes). He held out the water to the younger man wordlessly, red eyes blinked at him for a moment before he reached out (his hand was unsteady, Madara had never seen that before) and took the glass, Madara shifted his hand as he did until their fingers hooked together and squeezed gently, the most he could allow of comfort (the most he was willing to risk when he still knew so little); Tobirama’s movements hitched and he stared at Madara for a long moment before clearing his throat and looking away, Madara slid his fingers away and returned to his spot next to Mito, quite sure that he would do something ill advised if he stayed (he wanted so badly to do something to help, almost anything).

It was several long moments before Tobirama collected his shirt and strode past them into the house without looking at any of them, Hashirama following but stopping at the door to watch his brother vanish inside with tight lips; he turned to them, clearly trying to wipe his face of the worry written on it “You will have to excuse me, I need to- just-“ Mito rose gracefully to her feet and touched his hand where it was hidden with both of their long sleeves “Of course, you must have many things to attend to” she said smoothly and Hashirama sent her a fast grateful glance and nodded before disappearing into the house without another word. Mito and Madara exchanged a dark look but set about cleaning up after the planned afternoon with no farther words, this wasn’t the place to talk and they didn’t get a chance for the rest of the day (neither Senju brother reappeared all day) until they were back in the longhouse that housed them with the heads of the other subjugated clans (Madara missed Izuna, he saw his brother far to little now after they had been split up- no one was foolish enough to leave the Uchiha brothers together in one place to plan shit- into different sleeping areas). Mito pursed her lips and glanced at the clock but she was never called to attend to Hashirama and no other word arrived; it was Madara who broke the tight silence “What do you think that was about?” he asked, Mito dragged her eyes away and met his “I don’t know, but clearly _She_ is as much a threat as the ass” she murmured. Madara nodded, “I’ve never seen either of them react to anyone like that, not ever the ass” “And she hurt Tobirama I think, I don’t know what happened but those hand signs were but- unless they were worried about something?” she asked, Madara shook his head “He was definitely unwell, whatever she did effected him somehow and Hashirama knew it would, he was _not_ happy about Tobirama helping her” “And she threatened them with their father” Mito said quietly “there is so much going on that we just don’t know and I – I hate not knowing.” Madara huffed a mirthless laugh “The mystery of the Senju sons. I just wish it didn’t feel like a murder mystery.”

* * *

Hashirama hated that She had figured out how to partial activate the seals Tobirama wore, oh She didn’t know how to do it all the way but She could- and did- use a partial activation any time She wanted to (which was at least once whenever She saw him though never in the labs, he was to useful there Hashirama bitterly knew) and the threat that Father would teach Her the rest hung over them like a malignant fog; She was… unnatural, and while Father understood what he was doing- to an extent- when he hurt Tobirama and wouldn’t use it so much as to kill or damage a valuable tool She had no such qualms. Hashirama _hated_ when She asked for Tobirama for other reasons though; he looked at his brother, nineteen and clever and brilliant and when he came back from ‘helping’ her he always looked… wrung out, empty and confused and he could never really explain what it was he was supposed to be helping her with. Tobirama stirred a little “She wants the Naka Tablet” he said, voice rough and dry, Hashirama made a confused noise as he moved to get his brother water “She says the Uchiha have it and that it is crucial if everything is going to work” Hashirama froze, “She has a _Plan?!_” he asked horrified (what could that- that- _thing_ want?) Tobirama shrugged listlessly- Hashirama knew he would care about this again tomorrow but for now…- “We are going to move against the Uchiha soon” the younger man said. Hashirama swallowed “We’re ready” he promised “we’ll make it work” “We have to” whispered Tobirama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, after talking to a bunch of you this story will move all the way over to it's own story so look there for updates after this


	10. Burn as does the Sun (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madara never really should have been in Wind Country but thank all the gods he was, if he hadn't he may never have found Tobirama, found his Center

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wonderful idea by senroh inspired this "I keep wondering how it would be if Madara found Tobirama earlier? What if Madara was the one to find him when he was staked out in the Suna sun, and Tobirama, probably dehydrated to the point of delirium by then with second degree burns all over, stares Madara right in the eyes like he's everything Tobirama has ever wanted, and Madara realizes then that Tobirama is his center, and of course takes him home with him"
> 
> So it diverges from Red!verseprime years before Tobirama wounds Izuna, it is also somehting that is refered to in in 'infinite wishing' chapter 4

Tobirama couldn’t see, (_once upon a time he had gone with Hashirama to the edge of the sea and looked out over the rolling water)_ he had long since given up on seeing anything but a brilliant golden blur, (_Touka dripped sweat as she fought but her lipstick never moved_) his eyes so dry that the ache made it all but impossible to close them, (_Itama laughed as his skin melted_) his arms ached where they were twisted behind him attached to the pole behind him high enough that he was forced to lean forward with all his weight on his shoulders, (_Kawarama grown old danced in fire light_) too high for him to do anything but kneel exhaustedly, (_Izuna yelped as he darted away from Tobirama’s new jutsu, snapping squirrels of mud chewing as his dropped _robe) the ache in his bones was like fire licking through the joints, (_Madara stared at him with betrayal and disgust “freak”_) his lungs were filled with sand and his mouth was ash, (_Hashirama turned away from him_) each breath sandpaper as it clawed into him, (_he didn’t look back_) shivers slipping through him and dragging at the ropes where they cut into his skin, (_his father stood over him, arms folded and disappointment on his face “you failed”_) salt from when he had be able to sweat stinging in the burns on every inch of uncovered skin, (_“you brother will have to take up the slack”_) the heavy meatal collar around his throat hardly needed anymore – he had no strength to reach his chakra even if he could have, (_“I’m sorry” his motherbrothertouka whispered, “not your fault” he wanted to say_) his heart was fluttering too fast in his chest, (_“if you hadn’t failed…”_) the wrap they had tied around his hips the brush of nettles against his skin, (_Madara’s eyes passed over him, empty and uninterested_) the blisters from the burns covering his skin oozed burning heat, (_Madara’s chakra – so often his only comfort – the only place he felt warm – recoiled from him_) his extremities were cold,

* * *

Madara _hated_ Wind Country, the searing heat always making his hair stick to his back uncomfortably and forcing him to switch to lighter fabrics for his robes even if he could still keep as much skin covered as he wanted (was better to in fact, kept the sun off); missions here were his east favorites, send him to Lightning country even and he would prefer it, he had almost turned down this mission and sent someone else but he could bring himself to turn down a chance to get out of the clan compound. He was glad to take over the headship, don’t get him wrong, he had loved his father after a fashion and seeing him die so slowly in his bed hurt, but Tajima had been _destroying_ the clan; driving them into extinction in his desperation to defeat every other clan, not just the Senju, but picking fights with the Hatake, the Nara, even the Yamanaka who were once an ally (Madara’s own _mother_ had been a Yamanaka for crying out loud), his father would have ruined them, and Madara couldn’t grief the chance to reverse that decline. Butsuma was too alive for him to make any progress with the Senju but there were other ways to make the Uchiha safer and he was racing after every one of those he could; it was exhausting and the weight of all the expectations dragged at him, hence running towards the boundary of Wind Country grumbling even when he should have been home dealing with things as his father declined.

He would be out of here soon- thank all the gods- and there was an oasis not to far away that he would reach before too long, sweet relief – wait. What? there was something ahead of him, a pole? Why would anyone erect a pole in the middle of nowhere desert with no one anywhere for miles? What was the point? Ugh, now he needed to know (mother would have been so annoyed). Madara approached the pole slowly- no way to know what was going on- there was something at the base of it, a- a _person?!_ Someone had tied a _person _out here in the middle of nowhere? That was a death sentence! One of the cruellest he had ever seen. Madara picked up his pace, running to the pole as fast as he could without running himself into the ground, maybe they would still he alive? At first all he could see what the horrible burns where the person was slumped forward, they couldn’t be alive, not it they had been out long enough to burn that badly; though- the hair was pale under the sand, maybe- the man- teen- shifted, a rasping breath slipping out as he slumped forward. _He was ALIVE. _Madara dropped to his knees, fluttering his hands around the shattered figure before carefully cupping the sharp chin and raising the slumped head and- oh.

Oh.

Oh, that was- red eyes he realized distantly, he had only seen those on one person- that was. Oh. You, it’s you. You before all others. Madara cupped Tobirama’s chin as gently as he could, glad that the other had been slumped over enough that there was little burning on his face and the front of his neck; the Senju was staring at him with huge unguarded eyes, looking at Madara like there was nothing else in the world, like Madara was the only safety he knew, it made warmth slip through the Uchiha like cool water. He had to get Tobirama somewhere out of the sun, somewhere safe where he could heal the other teen as best he could and get water in him; to do that he needed to pick the slimmer teen up and he had no idea have to do that without hurting Tobirama more. The brushed his thumb as carefully as he could just under the sharp jaw where the skin was flushed but not burn, Tobirama’s lips were moving but there was no sound and Madara couldn’t read his lips with the exhaustion slurring his movement. Madara forced himself not to tighten his fingers and carefully checked the Senju’s pulse- to fast and too faint- and did his best to ignore the heavy collar around the slender neck least his anger make him uncareful.

He swallowed hard, he needed to get Tobirama down first and then to the oasis _now,_ he would have to risk the pain the younger teen; he slipped around Tobirama, heat clenching at the whispery whimper as Madara left his vision, he needed to get him down, he needed to get him down, that first. Madara examined the rope tying him to the pole, easy enough to cut, he carefully slid his arms under Tobirama’s so that they didn’t fall when he cut him down- that could be agonizing if they were lowered to fast- holding the too slim form as gently as he could and lowering Tobirama’s arms. He felt it when the Senju passed out, slumping heavily; that was _bad,_ but it would also make it easier to get him to the oasis. He could do this, he had to, his Center needed him, and he _refused_ to fail, he had too much to lose (and so much to gain).


	11. Burn as does the Sun (II)

Madara gathered his precious Center to his chest as gently as he could, it must have been agonizing but the only sound Tobirama could make through the damage to his throat was a faint wheeze edged with a painful whine, Madara was seriously considering that that was worse than any vocalization- this was just making the extent of the damage _so much clearer_; Tobirama was wrapped gently in Madara’s under robe- the softest of his clothing- as he took off for the oasis at the smoothest run he could manage, trying not to listen to closely to the labored rasp of Tobirama’s breathing. The oasis was blessedly cool and tree covered as he ducked into the cover of the fan palms, glad for the closely backed and shaggy trunks that gave them cover from the sun and would allow him to make a slightly comfortable bed, at least something better than the ground; he settled Tobirama on the ground near a cool spring-pool (moving water to insure that its clean as it can get in this situation) choosing a soft dark bank with cool wet mud and spread out his thin outer robe and settling Tobirama on that, it wasn’t perfect but it would start cooling the Senju slowly while he did his best to heal him. Madara was not a gifted healer, but like all shinobi he could heal the basics and he was Uchiha so burns were nothing new; he wet a rag and dripped water slowly on to pale lips cracked and smeared with blood that he no longer had to loose, holding the rag there as he raised a green glowing hand and swept it down one pale arm relived when the blistering, searing burns (he was _so_ pale, it must have _hurt so much_. Someday Madara would find whoever had done this and _kill them_) eased; he had to prioritize, the most dangerous of the burns first, then the as many of the rest as he could so that Tobirama could lay down somewhat comfortably, then get him cooled down slowly and get water in him. It was going to be a very long night, and Madara did _not give a fuck_.

Tobirama was stabilized, as much of the burns healed as Madara could and laying on his back to keep the burns gently cool in the mud, when the Uchiha took a deep breath pulling his fingers through sweat matted hair; Tobirama would survive (probably), at least long enough for Madara to get him to the compound (it was the only place he could think to take his Center, the Senju would probably kill him on sight but the Uchiha wouldn’t dare and once they knew Tobirama was his Center they wouldn’t touch him) after that was anyone’s guess really, but Madara wasn’t going to let anything happen. Not if he had to beat the whole world into submission! Tobirama whimpered and Madara jerked all of his attention on the pale shape next to him, his voice was a little better for all the water Madara had been dripping down it constantly for hours but it still sounded raspy and painful and Madara _hated_ it, he wanted Tobirama _happy_ and bright, eyes sharp with the intelligence the Uchiha knew he possessed and- and red eyes were open, just a little. Madara brushed a finger over his cheek “Tobirama?” he asked carefully, red eyes- glassy and dazed- drifted over to him “Madara?” he whispered on a breath of sound “How did I call you? My chakra….. you must be so disappointed with me Lodestar, so stupid…” Madara snarled “_Hey!_ No one talks about you like that! Not even you.” Dazed eye’s blinked at him and shaking fingers twitched “so _pretty_, always wanted to” pale finger tangled in his dark hair where it brushed Tobirama’s skin “so _soft,_ like feathers… mother you- would like you. Very vivid, so warm and cool all at once. Will you tell brother I have what he wanted? Didn’t forget, even though failure…” and Tobirama’s voice failed, lips still moving even as he drifted farther into delirium. Madara swallowed, he needed to get Tobirama to _real_ medical help (and figure out why his Center had been out in Wind Country getting something for Hashirama).

* * *

Tobirama dug his way out of the mist of drugs very slowly, mind drifting away every time he tried to focus on what was waking him up, only- he needed to wake up, that was something…. Oh. Some one was injured, odd, why was he drugged it there were still people that needed healing? He should be healing them. Well. if they wanted to make life harder for him with drugs fine. He could still d his job, _fuck you_ Aunt Shoto. It was hard to see- go he was so tired…. Someone was trying to talk to him, Aunt Shoto? Fuck you Aunt Shoto, woops, that may have been too much chakra. Someone was running at him. odd. Another grabbed his arm, duck twist throw, two in one go, good hit, ah, there they were. His knees ached a little as he dropped down next to the bed with the injured shinobi, odd, chakra felt different, maybe they had picked up a half-blood Hyuuga somewhere? Oh well. blood is blood is not in the right place. He could move it where it was supposed to go either way, no need to fuss with their chakra. There. All better. Good. oh. Shit, standing wasn’t….. wow, he felt, the world was moving. There was someone behind him, strong and warm and _safe_, he twisted stumbled and collapsed into them, “Wanogotobed” he slurred out, curling into warm-strong-safe, “takemetobed” warm-strong-safe made a funny noise. What? oh well, sleepy.

Madara stared dumbly at his armful of exhausted sleeping Senju, glanced at his bowled over shinobi guards and healers, looked over at the healed but pale Uchiha with a basin full of blood Tobirama had lifted out of her _brain_, turned to a dumfounded Izuna. “He’s _perfect_” he breathed worshipfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not totally happy with this chapter and wrote is while dizzy so....


	12. Naked as Lightning (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobirama should have pushed the hiraishin testing farther, but in his defense he had no idea this would happen!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miray's idea "I have a fic idea! If you wanted to write something funny ... Tobirama uses hiraishin to avoid being hit by Izuna. Unfortunately, hiraishin is a new jutsu and has some "flaws" ... During teleportation Tobirama always loses his clothes. And so the white demon stands completely naked (You can also add a little Angst ... Tobirama has old whip wounds on his back ... Butsuma is a bastard but he isn't stupid. He knows the capabilities of his younger son and knows that Tobirama ALWAYS knows where his siblings are. He guessed that Tobirama knew about Hashirama's new friend. Tobirama was severely punished ... Hashirama was too focused on himself to notice what had happened)"

The hiraishin was still new, and maybe, _maybe_ Tobirama should have refined it more before using it, but in his defense he hadn’t anticipated having to use it twice in quick succession and it had _never_ occurred to him that this would happen, _really_ it _hadn’t Hashi!_ Even if he had known he might very well have done it anyway; when he had hiraishined behind Izuna he had fully intended to strike the other man down and save his clan members, except. except as he lined up his strike he _felt_ Madara’s chakra _scream_, and he just couldn’t go through with it (he couldn’t do that to his- his Lodestar) so a second before his sword could strike home he activated the hiraishin again shattering space as he twisted through the summons realm (he felt the speed of his passage tare at him, huh, that hadn’t happened for a while. Oh. Oh shit) and reappeared halfway between Madara and Izuna (_why_ did it have to be close to _Madara?!_) the feel of cool air on his skin telling him _very _clearly what had happened (still had his sword and happuri as well as his fur- huh, why only the stuff that mattered most to him?).

* * *

Madara always kept an eye on Izuna, _always_, he knew that Tobirama was a dangerous enemy and was always aware that Izuna was only barely keeping up and all it would take was one new jutsu that Izuna couldn’t keep up with for it to fall apart; so he saw it when Tobirama’s chakra gathered, he saw it when light shattered as the albino vanished, he _saw it _ when Tobirama appeared behind Izuna, sword lined up for a death strike that Izuna would never keep up with and he wanted to _scream_. There was a hesitation, red eyes seemed to flick to him in the suspended time of the sharingan, light _twisted_, Tobirama vanished leaving Izuna with nothing more than a scratch; there was a shriek of light cracking and the Senju appeared again, close enough to Madara was he would be able to touch him in a few steps and he was, he _was, he was, guh, hng, oh my god. _He wasn’t wearing any clothing. Standing on a battlefield clothed only in a drape of long fur around his neck and the glint of metal on his brow, china pale skin _glowing_ like he was made of mother of pearl and with a bloody sword still in his hand he looked like a vision. Red eyes opened and met Madara’s and- oh. _Wow._ He- Tobirama looked away and Madara wanted to whimper, he had almost seen something important, he _knew_ he had, and now he didn’t know what it was! But Tobirama shifted and all thought fled; gulp, god…. He was…. All the pale skin and the muscles shifting under it like a sculptor’s masterpiece, his _thighs_, god Madara wanted those wrapped around his waist.

* * *

Tobirama was refusing to quail under all the staring eyes only by force of will, he… it was uncomfortable, he had never cared to much about his body one way or another as long as it worked and did what he wanted it too, but he _knew_ that it was not the most… pleasing form to look on (too pale, too thin, too scared for his skill- signs of failure writ large on his body) and he was _very _aware of Madara’s eyes on him (_he_ _was not going to look at the older man, he wasn’t_) and the embarrassed twist knowledge that shot through him.

(the gathered shinobi gaped, they had all noticed the sudden quiet from their respective leaders and withdrawn a little, shifting until they could see what was going on and then- and then forgetting entirely what they had been doing. ….What? _What?!_)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't one of my favorites, not sure where to take it from here and it's just so awkward for him... It would probably be better in someone else's writing, my Tobirama always has such horrible self esteem that it ends up just being sad


	13. Naked as Lightning (II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There, this should help the other part be more fun

Touka would very much like to kill something. She wanted that to be _very _clear as she stomped across the field over to her tired and exasperated (and uncertain though he hid it well) little cousin, oh he was a shinobi, he wasn’t unused to nakedness and he certainly wasn’t body shy but… like this, in front of _Madara_. Well. she tugged off the wrap of cloth she used as a shirt (very versatile to have on hand) and chucked it at him, ignoring the way that left her in only breast band and loose pants, _she_ really truly didn’t care who saw her arms and was only annoyed that she had to take off her breast plate to give her shirt to him. He gave her a grateful look and tied it loosely around his waist, not bothering to wear it properly as it was certainly not long enough for that; a clearing of a throat behind him made him turn, surprised as the Uchiha clan head held out his own Uchiha purple robe for Tobirama (Madara was _going to die_, some how he was _even better_ in fur and a shifting kilt of pale gray that hung of his lean hips and draped in _very distracting way_).

The Senju stared for a moment, there was something…. Odd about the way Madara was looking at him, he was using the sharingan- logical since they _were_ supposed to be fighting right now- and looked rather red, was it hotter than Tobirama had realized? Or was he just embarrassed by Tobirama (Tobirama…. Didn’t want it to be that)? Grateful the albino slid the robe on over his shoulders (he _hated _it when people could see his back and hadn’t had time for a henge), brushing a hand over the fine material (ok. Fuck. This was. Somehow _better_. Tobirama, in Uchiha colors. In Madara’s colors. And it was too wide on him so it looked sleepy and comfortable. And. fuck. _Oh fuck_) looking up to thank the Uchiha only to find the man looking extremely faint and covering his suddenly bleeding nose. “Madara-sama? Are you alright?” and Madara Uchiha, the only equal to the god of shinobi in the world, fainted. \

(Izuna stared, not because of the whole naked Senju thing- though give him time, once he realizes Tobirama has no clothing he will have a meltdown, a different one than his brother has- but because of the ‘almost killed me and therefor definitely defeated me and is better than me’ which was…. causing him some trouble. he didn’t want Tobirama to be better than him! Fine. _Fine._ He wasn’t going to go kick a naked guy- _especially_ given the look on his brother’s face- but _fine_. Like a complete adult he stomped over to Hashirama- the great idiot was just staring and muttering about not testing jutsu enough- and gave him a good hard kick in the shin. And then another, and another; actually that made him feel a lot better, maybe it was the yelping and flailing or maybe it was the way he was making the _really_ hot kunoichi laugh so hard she was having trouble standing straight. Either way Izuna was going to keep doing this until his brother stopped fainting every time he looked up and saw Tobirama leaning over him looking like, well, Izuna didn’t want to know what Tobirama looked like to Madara. So more shin kicking.)


	14. Naked as Lightning (III)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for the17thmuse

Touka had decided this was the funniest thing that had ever happened, _ever, _and the best thing was that pretty much no one else had figured out what was going on – oh, and having Izuna bring her food and things to drink in between kicking people was pretty fantastic (he was adorable, like an angry fluffy puppy). The point was that she had had no idea a month ago what was going to happen when Madara (weakly, because he was in _way_ over his head) insisted that Tobirama keep his robe (and hadn’t _that _made Tobirama go a little pink, which in turn made Madara sway dangerously); it hadn’t even occurred to her that the story of this battle would spread so fast- it should have, gossiping about the Senju and Uchiha was a shinobi staple- or that Madara giving Tobirama his war robe to cover up would get shifted to ‘Madara Uchiha head of the Uchiha gave Tobirama Senju his _personal_ war robe – one baring his _crest_! And Tobirama accepted it! my cousin’s brother’s friend says that he even blushed, can you imagine that! The Ghost blushing because of a proposal.’ ‘I never would have guessed that they were lovers, that must have been so _hard _for them! I always thought that the Uchiha head and the Senju head… but Tobirama and Madara-sama are a _much_ better match, they must be so cute!’

But when the wedding gifts had started to roll in battlefields had to be abandoned (really, they did, the first one showed up while they were fighting- some of them anyway, Madara kept tripping because Tobirama had refused to take off his robe _“its **warm** cousin, and it smells nice, and just, **warm**”_ and Izuna was more throwing a tantrum than fighting and eventually abandoned Tobirama to go kick Hashi some more. When Tobirama walked up to Madara- she was so _proud _of him for doing that- the other man had nearly had a meltdown over how Tobirama looked wreathed in smoke and wearing his crest; and _that_ was what the Hatake shinobi had walked in on, blithely tromping through the fighting to the ‘happy couple’. After that and the _“so you still hold clan spars? That’s a damn good idea!_” any farther clan warfare basically fell apart and now they just got together to stare in confusion at the mounting piles of gifts and letters saying ‘so-and-so’ will visit to congratulate you in person!

(Touka loved that she was the first person to figure it out, her and Kikiyo and _Izuna_ of all people, though others were starting to catch on slowly, at this point there was a lot of betting on when the ‘happy couple’ would figure it out.)

Tobirama was happy. It was a little childish maybe but right now everyone he loved was happy (Hashirama was fluttering around making happy noises about the clan heads all arriving in the next few days- he thought they were getting together to talk about the village after they heard about peace with the Uchiha- in between Izuna kicking his shins, Izuna was kicking Hashi and bringing Touka things- Touka was laughing her head off-, and _Madara_, Madara was nearby talking to a Senju kid and reveling in the fact that he wasn’t supposed to be killing anyone) and he was tucked away in his tree wrapped in Madara’s lovely robe, it was so _warm_ and though it didn’t smell like Madara anymore it was still the nicest thing he had ever been given; he just had to give Madara his gift- it seemed like the thing to do after all, to give something back- and then everything would be right in his world. In fact, he should probably do it now before he lost his nerve or someone showed up, drat, it was such a nice tree…. Drat. He slipped out of the tree and took a deep breath, drifting over to stand by Madara (he was getting used to people watching him, he wasn’t sure what they were looking for but every time he got near Madara he could feel eyes zeroing in on them) “Madara-sama” the Uchiha looked up, his eyes still soft from talking to children and stood, Tobirama took an inconspicuous breath “I have something for you, in return for the robe, I- here” and he shoved the package in his hand at Madara who was watching him with large eyes.

Madara looked down at the cloth in his hands, it wasn’t enough to be a full robe and he could see black fur so- oh. It was a _beautiful_ happi made out of a sleek pale gray fabric embroidered with dark feathers and edged with the _wonderful_ black fur, “It’s- _Tobirama_, it’s beautiful.” He whispered, honestly stunned. (Touka dropped her head back against the tree behind her, struggling not to laugh at the poleaxed look on Madara’s face- but oh Tobira, her dear little cousin looked over the moon, like he had never expected it to go this well- and even better was the look on the face of the Yamanaka that had just walked into the Senju compound) Tobirama smiled a little at him uncertainly and it was all Madara could do to not just _glomp_ him; Hashirama yelled for his little brother and with one last tiny smile (that expression though!) the younger Senju slipped away. “Would you like a hand putting that on?” Madara started and turned to look at Inoashy Yamanaka who was grinning at him “uh” Madara hesitated- he _wanted_ to put it on but he wasn’t sure that he should take off any of his clan layers given he was already in another clan compound- and Inoashy laughed “Don’t look like that! We’re here to congratulate you!” Madara blinked increasingly off balance “I-“ “I have to say I was surprised at first, but there’s no way to fake the way he looks at you, I’m glad to see you so happy cousin.” Said the Yamanaka clan head seriously “Thank you?” Madara said slowly, he… was starting to think he knew what was going on here. “I should go greet the Senju clan head and your wonderful husband- I have to say, we’re all just glad the fighting is over at this point!” and as Inoashy headed to the Senju brothers Madara’s brain _melted._

(Touka would have been put out that Madara had figured it out already but _the look on his face!_ He looked over the moon but was also making a high-pitched keening noise as his brain overheated and broke; Uchiha were _hilarious_.)


	15. Naked as Lightning (IV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a bit of a mess but I don't have the energy to clean it up right now, soooo *shrug*

Tobirama picked at his shirt with sad fingers, pulling the charred remnants off of his body and trying not to pout to noticeably but – it was just that he _hated_ people seeing his back after what lessons with his father had made it and the idea of _Madara_ seeing it was even worse; the only good thing was that he had left Madara’s robe with the main party where they were welcoming the last few clan heads so it at least hadn’t gotten burned by the overexcited Uchiha child that had almost set a Nara child on fire before Tobirama got them out of the way. Everyone was fine now and all children had been sent on back to their parents with stern words, but there was nothing to be done for Tobirama’s shirt and he would have to walk out in front of all the clan heads in nothing but his pants until he could reclaim Madara’s robe and curl up in that (why had he left his tree?), the only thing that made today redeemable was that Madara had liked his gift, otherwise it had been a waste of energy to get up today he was sure.

Tobirama jumped when there was a soft shift of air as the door behind him opened and he whirled around, hoping he had been fast enough to hide his back from whoever was coming in which – “Madara!” he _did not_ yelp, he didn’t. fuck anyone who said otherwise. The Uchiha blinked at him, looking more than a little thrown and deeply distracted, which was odd, what had happened to leave him quite that unfocused? It was strange because he was staring at Tobirama’s chest and there really wasn’t anything strange about it, it was his back that was a mess, his chest was just normal so what-? “Uchiha-sama?” (lucky he hadn’t noticed Tobirama’s slip of the tongue earlier into informality) Madara swallowed and visibly forced himself to look away (so strange), clearing his throat uncomfortably (did Tobirama make him uncomfortable? That made him… sad) before shrugging off his layered outer robe and thinner underrobe, draping both over the nearby railing on the porch as his fingers went to the hem of his undershirt before stripping it over his head (oh. um. _wow_, Tobirama had known that Madara was, um, _nice_ looking, but this…) and shifting awkwardly as he held it out to Tobirama (it took the Senju a second to gather his brain and notice), “Here, you don’t like being naked around people right?”

Tobirama blinked, startled not only by the gesture but by the recognition of his discomfort; he nodded slowly and took the soft (was all Uchiha fabric so soft? He knew they were smiths and weavers but he hadn’t realized that they were _this_ much better than everyone else) cream colored shirt “I couldn’t-“ he started (he wanted to though, he _really wanted_) and Madara shook his head, “Take it, I have other layers and I- um, well, I don’t like you being uncomfortable” the older man looked a little discomfited with the admission and Tobirama rubbed his fingers over the cloth, he _should_ protest more but… “Thank you” he murmured as he slid the shirt on over his head, relishing the soft fabric and seeping warmth (and it even smelled like Madara again, that mix of smoke and cloves and jasmine and leather oil that Tobirama was, um, rather more attached to than he should have been). It was interesting that even without the clan symbol on it it was so clearly an Uchiha shirt, he knew of no other clan that wore clothing with their signature wide, tall neckline which even the undershirt boasted to an extent; it left rather more of his tattoos visible than he normally showed off but that wasn’t a problem since it did cover his entire back and that was the part that Tobirama hated.

* * *

Madara swallowed _hard_, oh, oh shit. he had thought that Tobirama in his Uchiha robe was dangerous, well then Tobirama in his shirt was _lethal_. It was more intimate somehow, closer and more like Tobirama had simply picked up Madara’s clothing off the floor and put it on without noticing (maybe after a good fuck and- _NO, _bad Madara, talking first) instead of wearing the formal robe of his clan. “Thank you” the younger man said again and Madara shifted, forcing himself to focus “What happened anyway?” he asked; Tobirama sighed “Two children got in a fight- Nara and an Uchiha- I don’t know who started it but it wasn’t too bad, nothing that they were that upset about except one child decided that she should show the other how good her clan was with fire and spat a fireball out. I got the Nara boy out of the way and sent them both to their parents but my shirt was a casualty of the tussle” Madara frowned, he would have to look into this, serious fight or not is wasn’t good if there was a clan child running around so willing to be unwise with fire, they lived in _wooden houses_ for crying out loud, all children had to learn to be smart.

“Thank you for keeping the problem from escalating. You didn’t get burned did you?” he hadn’t seen any burns but he had been rather….distracted by all that snow white skin; Tobirama shook his head, “I’m fine, I am a suiton master, my shirt was the only thing harmed” and Madara blew out a relived breath. The Senju cocked his head, peering at Madara with bright eyes “Is there something you were looking for?” he asked gently when Madara said nothing more and the older man shifted, dragging his eyes away from the expanse of sharp collarbone the wide collar of Madara’s shirt (and the fact that it was fit for a man with broader shoulders to begin with) exposed to his greedy eyes, and trying to think far enough to figure out what it was he had come here to say, um, oh! right. shit. “Um, so you know how all the clans near by or that we are allied with have been sending random shit and ambassadors and stuff? So, I figured out why. And. um. its not just that we’ve stopped trying to kill each other.” Tobirama cocked his head again and Madara gave himself a very stern talking to about appropriate times to melt “SO, um, basically they all, um, theyallthinkthatyouandIaregettingmarriedsinceyou’rewearingmyclanmark.” He blurted out as fast as he could without stopping and refusing to glance over at Tobirama after no matter how long the silence stretched out; “what?” the younger man whispered and Madara cleared his throat again. “They think that since you were wearing my mark we, um, I don’t know the specifics, but they, um, theythinkwegotmarried” “oh” said the albino in a small voice after a moment “I’m sorry.” Madara blinked at him, confused “What?” he asked slowly and Tobirama shuffled his feet a bit “I’m sorry that I made them think that, it was just so _warm_ and I- but I’ll stop if you- I mean I don’t want to-“ Madara darted forward and slapped (gently, gently slapped) his hand over Tobirama’s mouth.

“You don’t need to stop!” he said in a slightly too loud voice before drawing back and clearing his throat uncomfortably “I mean, it, uh, it doesn’t bather me. and it’s, um, nice to have peace finally” he muttered to the ground (totally missing seeing Tobirama’s brightening expression fall at the last words). “Oh” said the Senju “I suppose that is a good reason to continue to pretend, at least for now” Madara nodded firmly, this was good, if he could keep Tobirama close that would give him the time he needed to figure out how to woo him for _real_.


	16. as I Follow you (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every fandom needs a sentinel/guide AU

Madara had lived with his sentinel abilities since he was almost too young to remember, he knows he came online on his first battlefield and his father's pride kept him warm though the agony of learning how to use the Sharingan with his senses, kept him warm though the exhausting training to use his senses without zoning, kept him warm while he learned how to block out the input from guides he might meet on the battlefield- from any guide but one he wanted and chose- there weren't many (they were fewer than sentinels) by they could be wildly dangerous to him as long as he remained unbonded and he _had_ to learn the clan techniques to protect him mind and keep them from controlling him. Anyway he was Uchiha and he didn’t need a guide, his clan could function without them- unlike almost any other bloodline- after all the sharingan and its abilities were uniquely gifted at protecting sentinels and keeping them from zoning, how could it not be when ticking the senses what such a large part of what the Uchiha kekkei genkai did?

For a long time that was enough; he was the strongest sentinel his clan had seen since Indra, but his sharingan was strong enough to match it and his chakra was sensitive enough to protect him so the very idea of needing a guide- of being forced to work with someone who would _control_ him- was laughable. And if he had to fend off guides whenever he went into some cities it just demonstrated their greedy, grasping, _entitled_ temperaments and that they wanted control over him but had no mastery over themselves; he wouldn’t _quite_ say that they were lesser but… but he couldn’t make himself respect them (and they way it felt when they tried to pry into his heart, the casual disregard for his mind, the clutching, clinging, sticking invasion of his very self-made it so much harder to bare their presence). There had been less than a dozen guides born into the Uchiha clan _ever_ and even then they hadn’t been very strong; guide ability and the sharingan seemed to be incompatible in a fundamental way but all that meant for Madara was that there was no way he was _ever_ going to take a guide, he didn’t need to and he wouldn’t allow _anyone_ to violate his heart and sense of self like that. Not _ever._

* * *

Tobirama had hidden his nature from everyone accept his brother and Touka for so long that somedays he liked to lie to himself and pretend that he forgot what he was (it was a weak lie, he could never forget, not with the aching hole in his chest and the sight of his chakra spirt fading away) and that he was nothing more than the Ghost that the world saw; the cold, temperamental, intelligent, (heartless, though that was _true_) little brother of Hashirama Senju. The Demon that was only rained in by his kind and loving older brother, the one voice that always argued against peace, the great obstacle to alliances with other clans; never mind that he had offered (three times) to leave the Senju and remove the fear of him from the other clans, it would make it easier for Hashirama to make peace he was sure, but Hashirama had never agreed; had instead forbidden him to speak of it again after the last time (Tobirama had been laying in his room recovering from an injury when Hashirama had come in, quiet and tired from advocating for peace- or at least less indiscriminatory death- to the elders who would never listen and to the other clans who refused to believe that he was genuine; Tobirama had _known_ that he was part of the problem and offered- as he had before- to leave the Senju and give up the name, to allow the other clans to make peace without fearing the Demon, it was one of the only times Tobirama had ever seen his brother furious; so angry that he went cold and still when he _forbidden_ Tobirama to speak of it again, forbid him as his brother, as his elder, and as his clan head. They never spoke of it again though the albino knew that both of them thought of it).

And now they had what his brother had always wanted; peace with the Uchiha and the beginnings of the village, which had quickly led to peace with almost all of the clans in Fire County (after all surely Madara could keep the Demon in check and his friendship with Hashirama was famous so the Senju clan leader wouldn’t choose his brother out of hand, not the Ghost over _Madara_, his oldest and dearest friend) the drop in mortality rates enough to make Hashirama sob; really truly cry the way he never did in public, ugly and aching and hurt. Maybe now Hashirama would take the time to get to know the Uzumaki princess he had almost been betrothed to- the one he still had a picture of hidden in his desk- though he had refused the contract in the end because he couldn’t bring himself to bring children into a world where he would have to bury them before he died; but that was different now, things could be different now. And if there was another guide born to the Senju (unlikely) what happened to Tobirama wouldn’t happen to them in Hashirama’s new world; a world where there were _laws_ to protect and rain in guides and sentinels alike, a world where their father would never have been allowed to spur-break Tobirama, and where guides were not twisted so easily into empty vessels desperate for anything to fill the gaping holes in their souls. (a world where Tobirama’s scars would be from battle and his markings a choice not a necessity, where he would have _chosen _intimacy instead of being broken to it, where he had _hope_ that his loadstone would even feel anything other than loathing for him)


	17. as I Follow you (II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Semi-graphic allusions to rape and abuse and, just, not a happy 'verse people.

There were many things that Tobirama had contributed to the plans for the village, but he advocated for more firmly for then changes in the treatments of Sentinels and Guides; He had no idea how Sentinels were trained, but what he had heard led him to believe that it was not an easy experience (Sentinels were not trained, they were forced, forced to zone and then into a bond with a Guide that was easily manipulated, murder suicides were the leading cause of Sentinel death other than zone) and he knew how Guides were trained, after all they had tried to do it to him. Like most Guides an Adjuster was brought in when he was twelve to see to his “training”, it hadn't stuck; within a year his mind and Guide sight had recovered and while his Father had been thrilled at the proof of his son's superiority he was also furious at his inability to mold Tobirama into what he wanted (Tobirama didn't know if his father wanted a perfect soldier that refused to feel anything or a perfect Guide that _craved_ feeling anything, it didn't matter, Tobirama was neither - _<strike>yet</strike>_) so when his youngest living son was fifteen Butsuma called in a specialist. Tobirama’s mind was fractured and broken from that time but he _remembered_; he remembered being chained naked between two posts, the taste of metal and salt in his mouth as it was held open, the faint jingle-_bite _as a spurs dug into his sides (they called spur-breaking for a _reason_ and Tobirama would carry the small scars dug into his sides from rib-cage to knee for the rest of his life), the smell of the sweet drug on the gleaming metal (<strike>blood and _sex_</strike>), and by the time he was dragged limp over the floor to the bed he was insensate and shattered; when the drugs wore off and sense returned the damage wrought on his mind and emotions was too set too deep to be fought off (which was of course the point).

He had woken with Hashirama sitting by his bed, curled up as close as he could be without touching and his face pale; Hashirama had been angry in a way Tobirama hadn't known his brother was capable of (he had always felt a little guilty for the comfort he took in his brother’s anger on his behalf) and it was only Tobirama's whispered assurances that they hadn’t destroyed him completely- hadn't reduced him to the empty grasping _nothing_ of so many Guides- that had kept Hashirama from tearing himself and the clan apart. Because Tobirama had already found his Sentinel- his lodestone- and Father never knew that (even if he had they couldn’t have done much, an established bond- even if only one way- was a powerful thing) so in the deepest parts of himself Tobirama remained whole, or... sane at least. When a year later Butsuma discovered the bond (discovered who was on the other side) he had sworn to _kill_ Tobirama; only Hashirama had gotten there first, killing their father and becoming clan head at seventeen (the clan had turned their eyes away from Butsuma’s death and no questions had ever been asked of how he died); the next day Tobirama had pulled out the plans he had made for his brother’s village, hopes for the next generation he had poured into paper over the years given to his brother with the promise that they _would find a way_, _we will Hashi._ (he offered three times to exile himself for that promise and Hashirama didn’t know how to say that the dream was for _him_, that it was for _Tobirama_ before it was for others.)

* * *

Madara shook hands with Hashirama over a peace treaty when he was twenty-five, wondering a little where the bright shinning boy had gone in the grim tired man he saw now (where the flailing absurd idealist he had _fought_ gone?), then the pale Senju Ghost stepped up behind his brother and Hashirama must have known because his face eased and the bright effervescence spilled out of him all the more brightly for the absence. It was the first time that Madara truly noted the odd relationship between the brothers; when Madara met Hashirama and they had talked about their brothers Hashirama hadn’t talked about his little brother much at all so all he really knew was what he saw when the little boy darted out of the trees to clash swords with Izuna, after that it had only been rumor (even the patrols <strike>spies</strike> had very little to give them about the second Senju) and what little he noted as Izuna fought the Ghost (somehow strangely Madara had never crossed blades, which was _extremely _odd statistically). And everything he heard told him the same thing: Tobirama was Hashirama’s attack dog, collared only by his brother’s mercy and as vacant as the ghost he was called, it was said the Hashirama could call off his brother with nothing but a word and placed his brother behind him for the safety of others, that Tobirama would strike like lightning,-like a bolt form the blue- fast and merciless and that when he looked at his dying enemies after he struck there was nothing but curiosity (“_as if he couldn’t understand why we were dying_”).

Madara wasn’t a fool, he knew better than to believe everything that came to him in rumor, but there was something…. odd about the younger Senju and it dragged Madara’s eyes back to his pale form over and over throughout the entire negotiations for peace and the following laying of plans for the village; Tobirama seemed to be everywhere, appearing in any place at any time and always with a suggestion or idea that would make things easier or solve a problem, but most often at his brother’s shoulder (and Hashirama _always_ relaxed when Tobirama was near him, Izuna- and many others- said he worried that Tobirama would kill someone if he wasn’t around to stop he younger brother; Madara didn’t think that fit, not quite, but what it meant that Hashirama feared for his brother anytime he couldn’t see him Madara didn’t know). Izuna and the other clans feared the Ghost more than any other and they brought their fears to Madara, he was after all the only person that might be able to put down Tobirama if the albino slipped his brother’s leash; it was because of this that Madara was waiting for Hashirama, leaning against the doorframe of their shared office in the Tower (it had been Tobirama’s suggestion that they share power, and his breakdown on duties and responsibilities that they had used successfully for two years now with only Madara’s suggestion of final power being passed between them with the seasons). He let his head drop back on to the wood, hoping the faint pain would ground him (it didn’t, his hair was too thick to really even feel it) trying to drag his thoughts into some semblance of order; he _needed_ to _stop_ following that fucking scent (but it was _so good_, crisp and sharp, like the air after the first autumn frost) he was in control of his senses, he had been for _years_, he was an Uchiha Sentinel, he was in control, he had never zoned and he never would, he was free (he was). (he never thought about the days he lost on the way back from Wind Country, never thought of the dreams filled with a warm rich voice coaxing him into rest and hands gentle on his face drawing him back to himself)


	18. as I Follow you (III)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So to date I have three ways they could find out about Tobirama, should I chose the one I think fits best or write all three?

Tobirama forced his hands not to shake as he wrote the last line on the contract for the Nara to treat with the Aburame over the possible use of the venom of a few of their insects; the Nara were quickly becoming the most frustrating clan He had to treat with, their insistence on having exhaustive paperwork for anything and everything meant that the work just piled up with them, working on negotiations for their clan alone had took him nearly a week of sleepless nights before Hashirama put down his foot and sent Tobirama to bed (the albino couldn’t always tell when he was butting up against his limits, one of many _gifts_ from their father) promising to have a word with the Nara and their need for busywork. It hadn’t worked as well as either of them would like and so here Tobirama was, in the garden of the main house in the Senju compound surrounded by greenery and water features in an attempt to deaden the stress of the large village, while rewriting the contract for the third time and trying to ignore the shaking of his hands from the overwhelming presence of the village.

“Brother?” Hashirama’s soft voice startled him out of his work and his head jerked up, ignoring the brilliant shifting light at the edge of his vision from his broken Guide sight, “Hashi” he rasped and his older brother winced, dropping down to sit with him in the small pavilion at the center of the garden. “Are the Nara still giving you trouble?” he asked softly looking over the paperwork (he wasn’t touching Tobirama anywhere, he was always careful after the breaking to keep an eye on Tobirama’s body language, the albino both loved and hated it), Tobirama snorted “It’s the Nara,” he said whispered, hating how his voice gave him away “they always give me trouble. Brother, you know that the only reason they do this is because they know I’m taking care of it for you even if I don’t have an official role in the village; they want to keep me busy and that’s why they do this. Brother they _still_ don’t trust me, it would be-“ Hashirama snarled and stood in a whirl of robes and long hair, turning away from his broken eyed brother. “_NO_, _Tobi_, no.” he sighed, anger rushing out of his tall frame all at once “we’ve been over this, I will not allow you to be driven from this village, we will find a way to allay their fears.” Tobirama’s look was tired and he had set down the brush and ink, hands shaking too hard to hold it “Madara went too you last night about me. Don’t look like that, all things considered it would be stranger if I _didn’t_ know, but Hashi, even helping you create a system to share power hasn’t helped, it’s been a _year_ brother. How long do we wait?”

* * *

Hashirama swallowed, Tobirama wasn’t wrong, but it had only been a year and he _had_ to believe that he would find a way to heal his brother, to _fix_ what their father had broken (he had long since killed the “specialist” that their father had brought in, Tobirama knew though he had never asked) better than the stop gap they used now; it hurt to know he couldn’t do _anything_ to help, not more than he and the clan already did. Protect, shield, hide, try to insure that there was a buffer between the younger Senju heir and the clans that feared him even if the Senju feared him too, but… they could only do so much, and it _hurt_ Tobirama so much to hear what was said about him (thought about him, felt about him), he could hear the whispers, sense their chakra recoil from him, and his guide gifts- always overwhelmingly powerful to match his sensing – showed it even more clearly when they weren’t trying to tear him apart.

If only Hashirama could make them _see_ what he saw, that the broken place where there should have been a connection between his emotions and his face was not proof of lack but of _damage_; Tobirama _felt_, more strongly than anyone Hashirama knew, but often the only way to know was to watch his hands (they had bound Tobirama’s hands in cuffs and chain around every finger- wouldn’t do to let him use jutsu- so they had never forced that connection broken). “Do you have an idea little brother?” he asked with a sigh as he sat down again, pleased when Tobirama leaned into him with a sigh, carefully and slowly wrapping an arm around narrow shoulders “I do, the Uzumaki princess, yes that one Hashi, I have written to her again and asked if she would consider a marriage alliance again even after it was called off so abruptly, they were… not pleased to have had that happen but Mito-hime has agreed to come and see Konoha and decide. She is a powerful kunoichi and the clans will, I’m sure, ensure that she is on their side; like with Madara if they think there are people who can- and will- control me they may feel safer.”

* * *

Madara rubbed at the bridge of his nose, he had had a headache for over a week now, the strength of the scents of the preparations for the celebration in honor of the Uzumaki princess pressing down on him constantly (it made his ears ring and his eyes sting and he should _be better than this_) in the days lead in up till now, and standing here waiting for Hashirama to get his ass in gear and arrive was not helping his temper. As if summoned by his thoughts Hashirama appeared at the end of the roads, his brother a silent armor-less shadow behind him and- oh, Madara had never seen the younger man without it (none of them were wearing armor, wrong optics really) but he was… much slimmer than Madara had anticipated, willowy and narrow hipped, graceful in a way the Uchiha hadn’t expected, it made him look totally different even with the ever present faceguard and fur still intact. Hashi stepped up next to him, giving Madara a nervous smile and shifting from foot to foot in anticipation, Madara knew the Uzumaki and Hashirama had met when they were younger- though he had no idea why the match had been called off, except, Butsuma had died around then hadn’t he?- but he hadn’t realized that Hashirama was this attached to her; Tobirama shifted leaning forward a little to bumb his shoulder against his older brother’s and Madara- it felt like a little cool breeze suddenly kicked up, flavored with dark bitter vanilla and river mint and clear water and Madara felt his muscles unwind all at once, head ache easing and the ringing in his ears going quiet, at the same time Hashirama took a deep breath and straightened up, a smile lightening his face as the sensation/smell/silence faded and the Uzumaki came in view.

Mito-hime was a graceful, elegant women with blood red hair and a feline smile, Madara liked her immediately (he always liked women that remind him of his mother’s strength) and Hashirama visibly brightened when he saw her, delighted and vibrating until Tobirama gave him a gentle push to dart forward and kiss her hand, she smiled down at him with real affection and something inside Madara twisted; he wanted what they could have together- that easy familiar warmth- but he knew he would never seek it out, never find it with the power of his senses pushing at him every moment. Hashirama was coming to them all but glowing with pleasure “- and this is Madara Uchiha who co-founded the village with me” Madara nodded to her and her eyes glittered with mirth “and you know my little brother, Tobirama” she looked at Tobirama and her eyes widened for a moment, head tipping thoughtfully before she held out her hand. Tobirama’s eyes shifted, it almost looked like surprise for all that it didn’t show on his face, and took her hand gently bending over it a little; Mito-hime’s face tightened and she touched on pale cheek as the younger Senju stood “It has been too long Tobirama, I see much has changed for you” she said, voice soft. To anyone not standing close, to anyone not a Sentinel, it would probably seem a reference to the village but Madara… Madara saw Tobirama’s hand _shake _where it held hers.


	19. as I Follow you (IV)

Tobirama was grateful to Mito-hime, her agreeing to even consider the marriage again after Hashirama had sent the letter breaking off the engagement was nothing short of astonishing and- he hoped- indicative of a fondness for Hashirama; in the days after Father’s death the clan had been a mess, not infighting but there was so much that had to be reformed quickly and Tobirama had been… unwell at the time, the threat to his Sentinel eating at his mind was exacerbated by the blow his Father had got in on him before Hashirama got involved and the combination had left him a mess. Hashirama had felt as though he had to focus on his little brother, and he couldn’t bring himself to have children (_“Why did you call it off? I know you like her” “I…. I- how can I bring children into this world? It was bad enough with child hunters but, Tobira, what if one is born a Guide? You know I don’t care but other people…. And Itama was one even if he never quite went on line, it’s in our blood” “Hashi” “No, I won’t have any more family until I can bring them into a better world”_) so somewhere in there the betrothal had been called off- Hashirama had hated doing it Tobirama knew- and done so with little enough fineness that he had worried the bridge might have been burned completely.

But here was Mito-hime, smiling at brother and making Hashirama glow in a way that Tobirama hadn’t seen in a long time; and she looked at him- and, well. when Tobirama had met her he had been online and adjusted but not spur-broken yet, so he had known that she was a low level Sentinel- two or three senses at most not, but not all five-, not strong enough to need a Guide; but she was also, like him, a _sensor_, and that meant that like him she could see the chakra spirits that accompanied all Sentinels and Guides. Her clever faced Bengal fox always amused him and pulled his own spirit out to play unconcerned about the old faded scars around the snow leopards ankles from the failed adjustment, and even now he could see the fox watching the leopard though he refused to look at his own soul (he knew what it looked like, spur-breaking wasn’t kind and the seals on his face only did so much to keep him stable, his spirit was fading and broken and held together for his brother and the village <strike>Madara</strike> <strike>if brother had a family Tobirama could die and it would be ok</strike>). Mito-hime’s hands and voice were gentle, the Uzumaki had always had a different view on Guides and Sentinels than the mainland, and she smiled at him like she _cared_ (he hoped she cared for Hashirama still, he was so tired…), like she trusted him; and maybe she wouldn’t work for his plan, not if she was going to be so kind to him but if it made Hashi happy (and it _did_) he didn’t care.

* * *

Mito could hardly _breath_ as she looked at her future brother-in-law (she had made her decision years ago, she had been hurt at first, she had thought that like her Hashirama was a little excited, but when she heard that the clan head had died suddenly under circumstances she had unbent some, enough to listen for news and _think_), as she looked at the way that even though Hashirama was so _clearly_ pleased to see her (and wasn’t that a nice ego boost) he always left a sliver of his attention on his little brother, always kept a space for Tobirama open next to him; and go the younger Senju needed it, he was so….. she had no idea what had happened but she _knew_ that it must be part of why Hashirama had never tried to reestablish contact, if it was bad enough for them to ink seals of connection and stabilization and gathering on his _face_ then it was bad enough for her to forgive Hashirama for not contacting her sooner. Those seals, who had created them? They were clever but haphazard a bit, the product of a desperate and brilliant mind and a chakra powerhouse; though- her eye flicked between the two brother- perhaps she had answered her own question.

A shifting movement brought her attention down to her feet where her fox was sadly looking at Tobirama’s leopard- even looking at it hurt to her shame- who was, huh, who was watching the large tiger that was sitting calmly next too the Uchiha clan head, interesting. Perhaps it was just that he was a powerful Sentinel, all five senses and _strong_ too, very strong to have such a large spirit- though that was only an old wife’s tale- probably the strongest she had ever seen and, unless Mito missed her mark, completely unaware of what Tobirama was; after all she couldn’t imagine the tiger ignoring Tobirama if it knew not with the way the leopard was lying on the ground watching the tiger with what could only be called exhausted longing, which begged the question of why they were hiding it, (if not intentionally than at least by omission)? Probably it was because of Tobirama’s reputation, even the Uzumaki had heard of the Ghost, to let people know that he was also the strongest Guide Mito had ever met? It wouldn’t go over well, not with the way she could already see people watching Tobirama like he was a barely controlled wild animal (but not the Uchiha, huh). “Brother, perhaps Mito-hime would like to be taken to her accommodations to rest? And then see the village if she wishes, I know you wish to show it off.” Tobirama’s dry voice made her laugh as he interrupted his brother telling her uncle Hitoshi about the village and all it’s clans, “Oh!” he said spinning back to her (his hand brushed over Tobirama’s arm and the younger Senju relaxed) eyes bright and excited (had he been trying to give her time with Tobirama?) “Would you like that Mito-hime?” she couldn’t stop her smile as she responded, “Call me Mito Hashirama, we’re old friends after all.”

* * *

Madara shivered at the feel of the air moving across his hypersensitive skin, everything was too much (it was happening more and more), his ears were ringing again, the smells of the food and people were overwhelming, his eyes ached and everything felt like it had been turned up far too high, fuck; he hadn’t lost this much control over his senses since he was very young and he couldn’t seem to get head of it, the only time he had had a second to breath was earlier as they waited for Mito-hime and he wasn’t even sure what had caused that, must have been a change in the wind but he just _wanted_ it too happen again (he just needed a moment, just one second to breath and get ahead of his senses, just a chance to implement his training, just _one_ second, he couldn’t zone, _he couldn’t_). Soft movement (to quiet for even the best shinobi to hear, not to quiet for Madara) near him dragged his attention back to the world as Tobirama stepped into sight near him, the Ghost was watching him with his normal blankness but- huh, his heart rate was rapid and uneven, his breath a little shaky and his _hands_\- there was little things that gave away some signs of emotion, why was he hiding? _How _was he hiding so well? Madara tipped his head, Tobirama hesitated for a moment (it was in his breath, not at all visible anywhere else) before slipping through people and light to stand near Madara (but not to close, was he- was he aware of his reputation? Stupid question, of course he was. but what did that mean?) watching him with distant red eyes.

“You should be proud, this is your dream” Tobirama murmured in his rich voice, Madara ticked his head to the side, “It’s not yours?” he asked and then winced, he hadn’t meant that to sound quite so aggressive and the Ghost seemed to shrink a bit (small change in scent and heartbeat, a faint dimming of the eyes) “I have not had dreams for many years Uchiha-sama, I have entrusted them to my brother. So in that it is mine as well” Madara frowned, thoroughly distracted from his discomfort now, what did that even mean? That he had entrusted his brother with his dreams, what a strange way… it seemed like that meant he _used_ to have them and still wanted them but- “Uchiha-sama, are you well? your senses are giving you trouble are they not?” Madara blinked at the other man, startled to be pulled from his musings. He shifted uncomfortably as the words penetrated, “I, I suppose that my status as a Sentinel is well known” he muttered; Tobirama sent him an unimpressed look and he grimaced “If you’re trying to hide it you don’t do it well” the albino said dryly (….what? he had a sense of humor? What?) “not that you should, this should be a place no Sentinel or Guide feels they have too, I suppose if I have a dream that is it.” Madara looked at that sharp pale face, glowing in the celebration light; still and cold as it ever was but… Tobirama nodded at him a little and vanished into the crowed. Madara frowned after him, that had been… odd. (the calm relief of his senses settling down, of the encroaching zone fading, went all but unnoted in his confusion – Madara didn’t note the timing as he should have)


	20. as I Follow you (V)

Tobirama sighed, scratching his fingers through long dark hair; he could have told Madara he needed to find a Guide to work with and though he understood why the man might refuse to do that- he wasn’t unaware of how most Guides would react when faced with a Sentinel of Madara’s strength- but with his power it was _not_ a good idea to go without a Guide for so long even with the Uchiha stabilization techniques. He looked down at the slack face of- of his Sentinel and sighed again threading a slightly stronger _presence_ down into the Uchiha; he was resisting, normally Tobirama could prevent a zone without doing more than flaring his presence or being close enough to center Madara’s senses, the only one he really remembered was when they were both young and Tobirama found a zoned Madara on the borders and had to pull him out over two days- he thought that that was triggered by a strong Guide trying to pull him in (Tobirama may or may not have killed that Guide)- but other than that he had always been enough just by being near (it was one of the only things where he _was _enough, he had clung to that and if it wasn’t true anymore…).

Madara stirred a little, forehead creasing as a little cognizance returned. Tobirama licked his lips, he was fairly sure that Madara had zoned on hearing which meant that now that he was coming out of it a little Tobirama _needed_ to talk to him but, but what if he recognized Tobirama’s voice? He _knew_ how Madara felt about Guides and though he didn’t blame the other man he wouldn’t be able to bare it if Madara refused to be in the same room as him, if Madara was disgusted by him. But, well, what needed to happen was what it was; maybe he could hum? Madara had never heard him do that before and he probably never would so it might work. He dug through his mind, looking for a song that might work, choosing a deep rolling song he had heard in lightning country years ago, it was soothing and resonant so it should work and- ah, there, Madara’s brow wrinkled and he twitched a little surfacing from the zone; any minute now Tobirama needed to leave so that Madara never knew how close he had cut it, so that he never had reason to look for the Guide that lead him out of a catastrophic zone.

* * *

Izuna shot to his feet when his brother stumbled into the house swaying like a sailor new off the sea and with a punch drunk look on his face, “Brother?” he asked darting forward to help only to have Madara his and yank his arm away and Izuna swore; moving ahead to open the Null room at the center of the house. It wasn’t a large room though it was comfortable with a large bed at the center and a thick darkly tinted skylight above, there was a small low desk that could be used as a table for two people and the walls were swathed in heavy dark fabric embroidered faintly with a long swirling maze (to give the eyes something to follow); leading Madara in was always a bit unsettling- it was dead quiet in the room to his ears- and he ushered his brother to the bed, helping him out of his robes carefully and speaking as quiet as he could “this can’t go on brother, you _need_ a Guide” Madara winced and pulled away, forcing his limbs to work as he shoved his clothing off and crawled up the bed. “I _will not _ be controlled Izuna, we’ve talked about this.”

Izuna grit his teeth and followed his brother, crouching by the bed (not too close) “This is the third time this year. Eventually you’re not going to be able to come out of it on your own and we will lose you too a zone. Madara _I’ve seen you wincing_, I know your senses bother you, find a Guide _now_, while you can still choose.” Madara turned away and pressed his face to the sleek silk blanket; Izuna looked at him but… Madara hadn’t refused this time, which was more than he had had to work with before, maybe they could still save him. Izuna _couldn’t _lose his brother, not to this, not even if it meant letting someone else into their lives. “_Please_” he whispered as he stood and walked to the door, activating the Null seals with a brush of fingers as he passed.

* * *

Madara breathed out slowly as his little brother’s chakra filled the room for a moment before fading as the seals swallowed all stimuli (he had never told anyone how unnerving he found it to have all outside noise and scent just _vanish_) and left him in a perfect box of emptiness. Already he could feel his body relaxing as the pain of overtaxed senses retreated and that was worth baring the strangeness of it, after all, if he got to wary he could still defuse his chakra for the sensing ability to see anyone coming; for now he would trust his brother to watch his back. He shivered as Izuna’s words rose up in his mind, he… knew that Izuna was right; his senses had been flaring out of control and taking a lot more work to control as time went on and he was not unaware of the consequences if he didn’t get them under control but, but even the _idea_ of a Guide made his skin crawl. There were a few in the village but Madara and the Uchiha as a whole had made it _very_ clear what would happen if they tried to pull him; even so he had felt a few of the tug at him (grasping and empty and desperate) and the idea of letting one of them bond him was…. he shuddered. He couldn’t do that, he _wouldn’t_.

(there was a tiny part of him, long ignored and pushed down, that _longed_, that whispered of the perfect person, of _vanillarivermintsweetwatersage,_ of a rolling song he didn’t know, of hands in his hair with just the right touch, of clever red eyes and a _presence_ coaxing him back (not pulling, never pulling). And sometimes he dreamt of strange things, of a snowy leopard that was thin and fading watching him- always watching- or keeping watch over a large white tiger; sometimes he dreamt of shaking hands on his skin and seeing a pale face change with emotion, sometimes he dreamt but he never remembered on waking


	21. as I Follow you (VI.AI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The main timeline, followed by two alternatives

Tobirama was annoyed, he was just about done with this whole thing really; they had been negotiating with the Lady Xoroth for hours now and hadn’t gotten anywhere, it was _very_ clear that her clan had no intention of joining the village (they were small, the only reason that they had even tried was that the Lady’s sister was a favorite consort of the Daimyo and they felt they had too) and was prolonging thing simply because she could; or, more worryingly, she had a reason and they didn’t know it. It was making Tobirama twitchy and his brother on edge, Madara was watching the Lady and her entourage closely and if Tobirama had a guess the Sentinel probably had his senses turned up as high as he safely could; after all she herself was a Sentinel and was accompanied by not one but _two_ Guides tied to her (it made Tobirama feel a little sick to feel them, more than one Guide should never be bound to one Sentinel) and another three lower rank Sentinels, but it was the Guides- both strong, though not as strong as him- that worried him.

Hashirama shifted, at the end of even _his_ rope “Is there a reason to continue this my Lady? You have no wish to join us so I cannot imagine what you gain from it.” he asked, frustration leaking into his voice. She smiled, slow and dark, satisfaction written in her chakra and Tobirama sent his senses out, searching for any trace of foreign shinobi in the village; there was nothing, no one but the people in the room “Well” she purred “you see, this village is rather problematic for the rest of us. The Daimyo _likes_ you, and he likes your idea, which mean that he might turn his attention away from us and, well, we just can’t let that happen” everyone in the room stiffened but it was too late, the Guides behind her stepped forward and shaped a jutsu Tobirama had never seen _presence_ flooding out of them and swamping the room, freezing everyone in place “I’m sure you understand.”

* * *

Hashirama felt the Guide power spill out of the women at the Lady’s back and he didn’t even have time to swear; he was no Guide or Sentinel, he had no way of fighting this and Mito wasn’t with him, normally his will and strength of personality was strong enough to through off Guide thrall when had needed to in the past but _this _time they had clearly come prepared (and Madara around the corner from him was visibly fighting the pull- he needed a fucking Guide, if only…- so there was no help there, but- but these people were no match for Tobirama.

He could still talk, good “Little brother” he grit out, the Lady blinked, surprised that he was resisting this much “if you wouldn’t mind.” And out of the corner of his eye he saw Tobirama raise one finger where he stood at Hashirama’s shoulder.

* * *

Madara had been off balance since the moment that he had seen the Guides next to the Lady Xoroth, something about it making his skin itch but he hadn’t thought- well, he hadn’t thought this and now he was too long without a Guide to do much more than fight the thrall from Pulling him to them as the Guides threw their power out (he _hated_ Guide thrall even if it had never been used on him directly before now), frozen as surely as everyone else. Except “Little brother” Hashirama’s voice was tight and strangled “if you wouldn’t mind” and Madara’s eyes flicked to Tobirama just as the albino raised one finger and- (_like the deep notes of a bass drop, like going under in a sea of stars, like the feel of undertow and the moon seen through water) _ -power washed out of Tobirama, **_Presence_ **like Madara had never felt before, deep and thrumming and pouring out of him like water released from a dam. It swirled, eddying and lapping around him but leaving his Self untouched, there was no Pull, no tug, no thrall, nothing but a gentle sensation of water lapping at his skin; nothing for him, nothing for Izuna or Hashirama or any of the clan heads sitting with them, but the Guides and the Lady-

The Guides’ eyes went huge as Tobirama’s **_Presence_** reached them, washing over them, sucking at them, dragging them down; one woman fell to her knees, gasping, the other swayed on the spot eye’s rolling back in her head, caught in Tobirama’s overwhelming power. The Lady Xoroth’s eyes had gone greedy, large and avarice filled as she looked at Tobirama “_Guide”_ she breathed, “_unbonded Guide_” the _want_ in her voice made Madara’s stomach roll (**<strike>mine</strike>**) but Tobirama only looked at her with his blank eyes and raised another finger. Power washed out again- (_stars filling the sea, light and shadow, obsidian liquid_) -and he felt it take hold of the women, of the guards behind her, of her _entire_ entourage; and they stood as one, jerky and stuttering and- sweet god above, Tobirama was _controlling them_, not with thrall, with nothing more than the power of his **_Presence_** he was puppeting them. “Brother” the Guide (_Guide)_ murmured and Hashirama sighed a little, reaching up to cover the hand that Tobirama had put on his shoulder (Madara he one moment to glimpse white knuckled fingers before they were covered) “Send them away if you wouldn’t mind Tobirama” a breath and the visitors spun, walking out of the room in that jerky broken way leaving dead quiet and a distant eyed Tobirama.

The silence held the room, all of them could still feel Tobirama’s **_Presence_** as it forced the enemy clan from the village and Madara reached out with his senses- Sentinel and chakra- following them as they were marched out of the gates and the shinobi there flared to attention. “It is done, they will not return today, they were not expecting us to be able to fight the thrall.” Tobirama said, his cool voice loud in the too quiet room. Hashirama patted his hand gently “Thank you little brother” he said, sounding tired and worried, “I suppose that if we have made enemies-“ “What about Tobirama!? Why was his Guide status hidden from us!?” he was interrupted by a wild eyed Sarutobi clan head; Madara blinked at him confused, Tobirama had no more tried to thrall him than he had any other shinobi in the room, what was the man on about? “Are you telling me that we now require all Guides and Sentinels to register with the tower? To identify themselves?” asked Hashirama in a dangerous voice, the Sarutobi didn’t hear the warning “Not Sentinels, just Guides, maybe just Guides like the Ghost” Madara winced when he saw Tobirama forearm flex, Hashirama’s shoulder must hurt given how tight he was holding it “he is a danger to all of us!” and that was- what the _hell_? Madara’s head whipped around too shocked to do anything but stare, _what the **hell**?!_ Unfortunately that was all that was needed for other voices to raise, all wanting some sort of insurance that Tobirama, the _Ghost_, wouldn’t hurt them, or thrall them, or- Madara lost track, to angry to follow the _stupid_ arguments.

“Enough.” Tobirama’s voice cut through the noise, calm and cold as always- except, was, was it shaking? Just a little?- “I may not be Adjusted but I am spur-broke, I should think that enough.” And he tugged his hand from his brother and was gone. Hashirama stood and stared after his brother and one of the Yamanaka, an Elder of the clan made a strangled noise; Hashirama turned to them and Madara was suddenly aware of the sheer _power_ his old friend held; he was _furious_, his face a white mask of anger as he turned to the collected clan heads, and the wood all around them flex and warped with his fury “_How dare you_” he hissed “_How **dare **you”_ there was something mad and burning in his anger as he looked at them “If it were not for my brother’s disapproval you would be banished from this place _Sarutobi_. He has done more for this place than any other, _including_ myself and Madara, and you **dare-?**” his voice dried up and he snarled, taking a step toward the clan head the wood of the table parting in front of him “My _brother_ has **never** used his power on another the way you imply, he-“ another snarl and the Senju clan head spun and stormed from the room, walls and doors flexing away as he walked. Behind him it was quiet for a moment until the Yamanaka Elder stood and staggered to a waste bin, throwing up and shaking “If he is a danger-“ started the Nara head slowly and the Yamanaka stood “_No_” she rasped spiting and them whipping her mouth as she stood and faced them. “If he is- if he is-“ she swallowed convulsively “if he is _spur-broke_ and yet has never- no. he is no danger to us. If anything it’s the opposite- if he- _oh god_-“ she covered her face with her hands “we are so _lucky_ that he is who he is, to be- to be what he is and not _so. much. worse. _We _owe_ him- we- Sweet gods preserve us.” And she sank to the floor weeping.


	22. as I Follow you (VI.BI)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> second way they could have found out, for Miray, also, Dark. take care of yourself, if anything in this verse has walked the edge of ok for you skip this chapter, it's not graphic just dark

Tobirama wasn’t sure what he had done to make Izuna so angry, one minuet they were discussing (arguing, there were Uchiha involved) the protections and rules for Guides and Sentinels and then Izuna was _furious_ at him and Tobirama didn’t even know what he had _said_. “-the fuck do you even have a say in this!? you don’t matter here?!” and, oh, oh that… hurt. he hadn’t realized that- his eyes flicked to Madara who was watching his brother as Izuna shouted at Tobirama and. oh. He turned back to Izuna (his hands were shaking again) “Izuna, I know what it feels like to-“ Izuna made a sound of fury and lunged to his feet and- ah. Stupid. His eyes were red and black (he hadn’t thought that he would be attacked… here he…. should… have… reali- _chained naked between two posts, taste of metal and salt in his mouth, his jaw aching, the faint jingle-bite as a spur dug into him, the smell of the sweet drug on the gleaming metal, blood and sex, jingle, jingle, jingle, **jingle )**_

* * *

Izuna didn’t quite know why he was so _mad_, but it was just- just that Madara was only just out of the Null room and was _still_ refusing to think about finding a Guide and Izuna was going to _loose_ his brother to a zone; so when they were talking about Guides and Sentinels in the village with the Senju brothers and one of the Yamanaka Elders who worked with Guides ( the Yamanaka had a couple- they seemed to be like the Uchiha except with Guides instead of Sentinels) and Tobirama- cold bastard- started injecting opinions about how things should be run, about stuff he had _no_ knowledge of, when he said that the adjustment and training of Guides should be outlawed (if they weren’t trained how much worse would they be? How much more likely to try and Pull his brother and bond him against his will?) Izuna lost his temper. Just, he was _so angry_, how dare- how _dare_\- and he didn’t even feel his sharingan activate, his _Mangekyō_ Sharingan, until he was looking into surprised red eyes and for one second Izuna could feel the Tsukuyomi take hold (_jingle_) before the albino crumpled to the floor.

Madara and Hashirama shot to their feet, Hashirama dropping immediately to his brother’s side and checking his vitals “Izuna-“ his brother said, horror in his voice; Hashirama turned on him, his face horrible in anger and fear “_What did you do?!_” he hissed. Izuna stepped back “I-“ (his eyes ached, and his vision was blurry) “I- he was-“ “**Izuna**” said Madara and Izuna swallowed “Tsukuyomi” he whispered. Madara looked at him with horror in his eyes and “_Tsukuyomi_?! Izuna, _why?!_” but Hashirama, Hashirama had realized what Tsukuyomi was and with a sound of deep agony he lunged at Izuna; Madara threw himself between them, catching Hashirama around the waist “_Hashi!_” but the fury was fading from the Senju’s eyes, turning to despair “You have killed him” he whispered in a voice like a tree cracking “you have killed my brother in every way that matters”

* * *

Madara couldn’t remember _ever _being so disappointed in his brother but, to use the _Tsukuyomi_ on _Tobirama-_ god Izuna, how could you? And the way Hashirama’s voice broke… the other man shook Madara’s hold off. Dropping next to his brother again he carefully laid his hands on Tobirama’s face, fingers just brushing against the red slashes tattooed there; he took a shaking breath and Madara felt him begin to slide chakra into the – holly shit those, those were _seals_, why did he-? the seals lit up with a dull red light and for a second that was it and then Madara could see faint glows from under his clothing (how many seals were there?) and – and suddenly the normally still and stoic Tobirama _screamed_, his face twisting in agony until the sound was sharply cut off as the albino started choking, whimpering pitifully with every hastily caught breath. “Shhh, please, be calm little brother, it will be alright, please, _please_,” Hashirama whispered, tears slipping silently down his face as he fed power into the seals and Tobirama twitched under him (god his _face,_ Madara wished he had never seen this); and then – a whisper, a thread of power shaking and fractured and faint and – “Your brother is a guide?” the Yamanaka asked sharply, Hashirama nodded absently “Powerful, Father _hated_ it. he- no _please_ brother hold on- he fought the Adjustment, didn’t let them break him then” (Izuna twitched and Madara frowned, what was Adjustment exactly?) “so Father- the seals are to help him fight the fracturing.” The old woman knelt down next to Hashirama “What is he reliving then? Adjustment is sensory deprivation mostly, why-?” (Izuna spun to Madara who felt a pit open in his stomach) Hashirama gave a broken, bitter laugh “That? No that’s not- Tobirama was _spur-broke_” “_no_” whispered the woman, horror writ large on her face “_No, and he- _he doesn’t act_\- how?!_ Oh god if that’s… Senju-sama, it might… it might be kinder-”

Hashirama folded over his brother sweat dripping down his face and gasping roughly “To kill him?” he gasped (Madara recoiled, what? there was no way… right?) “maybe it…” (Hashirama sounded mad and heart broke, shredded around the edges) the fuck? No. just _no. _Tobirama was…. the fuck was Madara letting him die from this. Madara shoved the Yamanaka out of the way and leaned over the frightened, agony ridden face, gently opening red eyes (he was crying, _Tobirama_ was crying) and letting his sharingan spin into life and falling forward **_(_**_jingle jingle **pain** jingle **don’t understand**-jinglejinglejingle blood semen jingle **)**_ he shoved the phantom sensation away, ignoring the terrible horror and fear and confusion and- ignoring his shaking and the bile in his throat **( ** _Tobirama, Tobirama, come to me <strike>darling</strike>, follow my voice, Tobirama _**) ** as he reached for the other man, there was something… something…. A thread? A bright thread between them, how? (days he lost on the way back from Wind Country, dreams filled with a warm rich voice coaxing him into rest and hands gentle on his face drawing him back to himself, _vanillarivermintsweetwatersage,_ of a rolling song, a _presence _calm and-) oh. Oh, how had he-? oh god. **( _Guide_**_, please, guide, Tobirama, mine, please,_ ** ) **he clung to the thread, wrapping himself around it, distantly he heard- _“no, if you bond with him now you could follow him or be bound to a_” -Madara didn’t care, Tobirama had been his Guide for _years_ he wasn’t going to let go of him now, not when he knew that Tobirama was never going to force him (why would he when he never had before? Madara could _trust _him); the thread thickened, grew wider and stronger until- bond. And **(**_he pressed him self to a thin shaking blood slick back arm around “you’re mine, mine, come back with me”_**)**


	23. as I Follow you (VI.CI)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A third way - kitsunesongs. Description of torture

Tobirama breathed slowly and Hashirama pressed himself closer, leaning his shoulder into Tobirama’s hip “Are you telling me that we should treat Guides and Sentinels that same way we always have?” he asked as calmly as he could. Izuna frowned and Madara leaned forward “I don’t know about Guides but the Uchiha training of Sentinels has never been a problem.” He said, watching Tobirama with eyes far keener than Tobirama wanted “Then I see no problem continuing the way the Uchiha work but we _need _a protocol for unaffiliated shinobi, unless you want to have untrained Sentinels running around just because they didn’t belong to a clan that could train them? Add classes to the academy, it wouldn’t be bad for every shinobi to know a bit more about how Sentinels work.” Madara hummed thoughtfully and nodded (Tobirama ignored the _stupid_ rush of pleasure that <strike>his</strike> the Sentinel was happy with him), that works for me, we can work out the details when we get there with the academy, an Uchiha can teach and we can keep an eye on Sentinels.” Tobirama felt his spine ease a little, if Madara was behind him then the Sentinels would be ok, after all the Uchiha had the most Sentinels of any clan, the others _had_ to follow their lead.

“And what about Guides?” asked the Sarutobi clan head “Are we going to abandon training them to the academy as well?” Tobirama felt his hands shake “And why shouldn’t we?” Hashirama asked in a mild voice; the old man puffed up importantly “Guides are a danger, what with the thrall they are a danger to all of us – after all how many Sentinels have been forced into a bond by a greedy Guide?” (Madara frowned) Tobirama took a deep breath, but “And Adjustment is the best way to do that?” he asked calmly, the Sarutobi snorted “It has worked so far hasn’t it?” Hashirama dropped his hand under the table and curled it around Tobirama’s calf “What does it matter to you anyway?” and- and Tobirama shouldn’t do this, this was not the time but- he- Hashirama squeezed his leg and nodded when Tobirama looked down, the albino took a deep breath “I _am_ a Guide Sarutobi, so I think of everyone here I have the most right to speak for us.” Silence, (he _was not_ going to look at Madara, he _wasn’t_) the man didn’t believe him- of course he didn’t- so Tobirama, breathed out and let his _presence_ slip out a little letting it lap at the floor and swirl around legs. Sarutobi froze, eyes huge and wary and Tobirama- breathed “I _am_ a Guide so I will speak for them. Do you ever wonder why there are so few that live to be adults? It is not that we can’t survive without a bond whatever you have been told, we are every bit as capable of living as they are though it is not…. pleasant.”

* * *

Hashirama could feel Tobirama shaking against him and it was hard to bite back to the bitterness “But that’s not what we are talking about here, here we are talking about training and you think Adjustment is a good way to do it, so let me ask you, do you know what that is?” Hashirama _hated_ Sarutobi he decided, deeply. He started a little as Madara nudged him, barely hidden concern on his face and Hashirama-

Had no idea what to say except to tighten his hold on his brother (he could never hate Madara, not after everything, not after Madara was what had saved Tobirama once upon a time but… but it was _Madara_ that could help his brother and to see him just _not care-_ Hashirama couldn’t hate Madara but sometimes he wished he could.)

* * *

Madara was trying not to react to much to the feel of Tobirama’s **_Presence_** curling around his ankles like warm surf (_ngh_) and focus on what was going on; somehow it wasn’t as surprising as it could have been that Tobirama was a Guide, oh it didn’t explain everything but (standing on the edge of a festival and his head aching until Tobirama came up next to him) it did make sense. “No? I thought not. Shall I tell you what it is? The Yamanaka probably know if you would rather ask them.” Tobirama’s voice was even and distant but, but now that Madara was listening he could hear (Tobirama’s heart was pounding, breath coming to quick and fear in his scent) the distress. No one responded and Tobirama fixed his eyes on the Yamanaka clan head, who wouldn’t look at him “Adjustment is something that all- almost all- Guides are put through at twelve, it is supposed to help us understand and regulate our power. I’m sure you’ve heard all the justifications so I won’t go into that, but this is what Adjustment is: it begins with a tea designed to reduce all walls around your mind- to make you susceptible to suggestion- and then another to activate the Guide gift as strongly as possible, it’s painful-“ somehow the throwaway way he said that was even worse than any emotion could be “-after that there are chants and lessons taught with pain, but given that some of you probably have seen and done nothing when seeing children hurt by those they are supposed to trust I won’t go into it.” guilty shifting from a few people, Madara made a mental note of them to keep an eye on.

“There is no sleep, for the week they you are with the specialist there is no sleep and you sit seiza if you sit at all; again I know to some of you that is nothing so I won't linger. While all that happens you are fed brainwashing tea- I'm sure you know the blend- and all your walls are stripped away, everything- _everything_\- presses in on you. Constantly. And then? And then they cover your eyes. Nothing right? a little thing. Until they cover your ears as well.” Madara felt sick, he… he had an idea where this was going “And then, of course, they give you a numbing agent- they make you eat it. it lasts for days- which doesn’t matter much, trust me, you don’t even want to eat at that point. I don’t know how they do the last part, seals and a salt bath I think, but they bind you head to foot and place you in water you can’t even feel. There is nothing. Not even pain. Just the Guide senses thrown wide to the whole world. That is what Adjustment is, the technicalities of it anyway, different Adjusters add different…. flavor.” Silence, Madara could hear Tobirama panicking but there was _nothing_ on his face, nothing at all. “They rip you open and then they tell you it is your fault-“ Madara only stayed in his seat when Tobirama was interrupted because of Izuna’s hand on his arm “And you? You were Adjusted? You don’t act like other Guides.” Sneered Sarutobi- Madara cheerfully decided to rip his face off- “What is your problem with Guides?” snarled Izuna “Had them tell you to fuck off before?” and _wow_, if Sarutobi’s face was anything to go off of that was completely hitting the nail on the head. But before it could descend into shouting Shimura spoke up “I hate to agree but, Senju what is your training if this adjustment didn’t take?”

“Brother-“ said a wire tense Hashirama and Tobirama dragged in a shaking breath- Madara wondered if he was the only one that noticed that- and placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder “I resisted Adjustment, unusual but not unheard of. Father was…. Father decided to try again when I was fifteen and I-“ red eyes flicked to look at Madara- he never would have noticed if he hadn’t been looking back- and he tried to look as reassuring as he could. Tobirama looked away and tightened his grip on his brother when Hashirama opened his mouth “I was spur-broke. I am sure the Yamanaka could tell you about that,” the wood around Hashirama was flexing and twisting and Tobirama looked completely unmoved (Madara’s senses told him the truth) “I don’t remember much of it clearly.” Hashirama stood up abruptly, his face hard and dark and _so, so, angry_, “It is rare and _extreme_ and if anyone, _anyone_, **ever** tries to do it to anyone in the village they will not live to see dawn.” he snarled and the floor under their feet flexed and twitched, the threat was a clear one as he looked around the room “So now that we are all agreed that the _training_\- not Adjustment- is going to be under the oversight of the Academy if there is nothing else my wife is expecting us, It’s my night to cook.” He spun and pressed a hand to Tobirama’s back leading his brother out of the room (Madara smelled salt and heard shaking breath and he wanted to go after the albino_ so much,_ but better to stay here and make sure the problem was over and that there would be no simmering anger) and most people turned to the Yamanaka when the Elder sitting next to the clan head whimpered, shoving back from the table and gagging, shuddering even as her clan head pressed a green glowing hand to her back. “What-“ “_NO,”_ interrupted the Elder, ignoring the Nara clan head’s raised eyebrow at the discourtesy “no, I- I’m not going to tell you what that is or how it’s done. I- no.” she shuddered and tucked her head down, shaking and white and wiping wetness from her cheeks “It is the worst thing and make them- supposed to make them- I- I only saw it once and then swore **_never_** to have anything to do with it again. _Oh god_. It- it _destroys_ Guides, I have no idea how Tobirama-sama is- isn’t shredding all of our Hearts, I’ve never seen a spur-broken Guide so sane.”


	24. as I Follow you (VI.DI)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> let us see another possibility - Alasse_m

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not fully happy with this one, it needs.... something

Ah, well, his luck had to run out sometime Tobirama thought distantly, he just wished it hadn’t happened _now_; not right in the middle of the Uchiha clan compound, not while surrounded by an entire clan that feared and detested him (he would have preferred their hate over their disgust honestly) and that would take his head off the second they realized what he was. But the second Tobirama had felt the chakra swell for the fireball jutsu from one of the other Uchiha (Hikaku, a clever one sense Sentinel- ocelot) just in Madara’s blind spot, he had known that it was going to trigger a zone; unexpected light, heat, and sound while Madara was walking on a hair thin line already? Yeah, no way to stop this. The fire had blossomed and a second later Madara faltered, words stuttering and steps going uneven (it was impressive he held off the zone that well to be honest) before he whimpered a little and hit the ground; Tobirama twitched _hard_ with the need to go to his Sentinel, need to fix it, help him, save him (the large tiger was watching him, pacing franticly), but he _couldn’t_ not here, not where anyone could see (Madara had never zoned in public before, Tobirama had never failed so totally at keeping him safe when he was _right next_ to his Sentinel but no amount of passive _presence_ had helped this time, this time Tobirama well and truly wasn’t enough).

Tobirama glanced at Hashirama who was staring at Madara with worry painted over his face when the Uchiha flinched away from Izuna’s touch with a pained sound; no, that wasn’t going to work, not with this zone but they needed to get Madara out of here. He glanced at Hashirama again, hands shaking a little and his brother met his eyes with a concerned look “Tobi” he whispered stepping closer; Tobirama shook his head firmly, he couldn’t leave his Sentinel like this. He turned to Madara dropping to fast for any of the Uchiha to realize what he planed and stop him before he gathered Madara into his arms (mustn’t touch skin) and stood carefully with the clan head tucked against him; Madara wasn’t a light man, roughly Tobirama’s height but significantly heavier, broad with the muscle he needed to swing that gunbai around so wildly, but Tobirama had carried heavier that he cared for _far_ less (a precious burden). Izuna made a sharp protesting noise and twitched towards Tobirama only to pause when Madara shifted closer with a sigh instead of recoiling as he had form Izuna, “Do you have a Null room?” Tobirama asked calmly, trying to hide his shiver at the brush of hair against his neck; Izuna hesitated, wavering before nodding sharply and turning to the heads house, followed by Tobirama with his dear burden (he tried to ignore the Uchiha he could feel following him, Hashirama was between him and then, he would make sure that Tobirama was safe). The Null room was reassuringly well built as Tobirama slipped in after Izuna biting back words as they were followed in by Hashirama (of course), Hikaku, Kikiyo (a cousin of Izuna and Madara’s), and at least two other he didn’t know; Tobirama ignored Izuna’s too sharp eyes as he walked around the other side of the bed and carefully settled Madara on it (Hashirama was at his back, watching the Uchiha), as he drew back Madara whimpered and shifted like he was trying to chase Tobirama (Tobirama shuddered, fighting the call of his Sentinels need and the dark eyes of the watching tiger).

* * *

Hikaku watched the Senju Demon with sharp eyes, just waiting for him to lash out at Madara-sama; except, there was something about the way the albino’s fingers lingered before they drew away, about the way he was twisted to Madara-sama like a compass pointing north and – no. no, there was no way – _no._ Hashirama spoke as Hikaku moved to stand next to Izuna, Kikiyo at the door keeping the other clan members back “Brother” said the Senju clan head quietly, the Demon tipped his head to the side, red eyes intent on Madara-sama “Can he wake on his own?” there was a pause and then-

Oh.

**_Presence_** unfurled around the Demon, rolling out over the room to lap at the walls in a sea of velvet silk; Hikaku wanted to sink into it, wanted to relax into it and never leave, then the **_Presence_** pulled back, slipping away to shiver around the boundaries of his self without really touching (that _control_). Hikaku gaped, he had never, _never_ felt a **_Presence_** like this, never felt a Guide this strong or carefully controlled; this, he thought, was a Guide could lead even Madara-sama back to the waking world (and a Guide that had never tried to pull any of them, never even given any indication that he was a Guide at all).

* * *

Madara drifted, swimming in a gray static world, ears ringing like the had been standing next to a flash-bang tag, everything shaking and twisting around him and – a scent, one he recognized, a touch through his clothes (he wanted it on his skin), movement, people pressing close, quiet, touch pulling away- _no!-_ back, firm gentle, and then- _oh. Oh yes. Oh sweet fire and blood-_ everything soothed, smoothed, gentled, eased a little- _ Guide, **mine**-_ he could hear a little “-you’re a Guide?!” anger, swimming in noise, scent coming closer “-won’t be enough to pull him out like this, he needs-“ someone in the hall (family? But angry) moved “-calm down do you want your brother to wake?” standing behind his Guide “-zuna… strongest Guide ever felt, could match…. never tried to force… even indicated that he could” another Sentinel but not a threat “Will he come out if you-“ someone moving down the hall, anger “no” hesitating at the door “you save him?” “He’s in deep, if I do there will be a bond” fury at the door lashing at _his _Guide, twisting curling around _his_ and snarling at the threat batting flame from the air with his hand- "the fuck, go find them" "-attacking in the Null room!" 

Shouting sending him under again until gentle touches under cloth (wearing gloves) on his cheeks and a soft humming pulling his back, voices calming “you _can _save him” “I will not bond without his consent” “he will never wake if” “not without his consent. And he will never give that to _me_” strange, _his _was upset, he wanted that to stop, “his life or his anger” “I will not violate his Self” “it won’t matter if he never wakes” silence “**out**” _his _was trying to sound angry but was anguished, movement, sound, then alone with his and sweet _silence, and then, _hands on his cheeks, skin on skin and Madara’s world **_Lit up_**.


	25. as I Follow you (VI. DII)

Tobirama shivered reaching out, hesitated before letting his bare hands fall on Madara’s skin; in an instant the Sentinel twisted, twinging closer with soft growling sounds as his hands snapped over Tobirama’s, whimpering when he couldn’t feel the albino’s skin through his own gloves. Tobirama hummed, petting Madara’s cheek as he lifted one hand to help the Uchiha remove his gloves; this was how a Sentinel bonded, Guides did it with their Guide sight and _presence_, but Sentinels needed to use all their senses to absorb their Guides, and experience that often led to sex - after all when you have someone you care about trying to lick you all over and absorbed you with every sense it took a strong familial bond set deep in the Sentinel’s subconscious for it not too turn into sex. And while Tobirama couldn’t force Madara not to sense imprint and bond with him he _had_ to keep it from going that far, a sense imprint bond could be ignored- with difficult admittedly but it could be done- but a true bond was never going anywhere and meant that the Sentinel and Gide could hardly ever be apart; Tobirama might have to force Madara into using him as the Uchiha’s Guide but he _could_ make sure that the other man didn’t have to live with him and see his violator every day. (And if his own uncertainty as to if he could even have a true bond lingered after _<strike>blood, sex, jingle, tied to a bed and</strike>_\- what had happened that didn’t matter, he wasn’t important here, this wasn’t about him, he was already tied to Madara even if they didn’t establish a true bond so this wasn’t about him.)

Tobirama was brought back to the present when Madara licked his pulse point, lapping at his skin with eyes only barely open and completely empty of sense (if felt- _no_), the albino shifted, tugging his hands away and ignoring as best he could the sad little sound Madara made in response; he shrugged off his long kimono shirt off and then the black under shirt, leaving only his mesh under shirt on mentally thanking his brother for helping him get his armor off before he left the room. There was a nudge at his leg and he looked down meeting the red eyes of his spirt animal as it tugged lightly on his leg wrappings “Fine” he murmured leaning down and quickly discovered that that wasn’t the right choice when a sudden warm weight hit his back; he grunted under Madara’s heavily muscled frame, swallowing back a tight whimper as the Uchiha snuffled at his pulse point, inhaling Tobirama’s scent in deep gasping breaths. “Easy now,” he murmured to the Sentinel “give me a minute to get my shoes off” which wasn’t going to happen it seemed as Madara wrapped himself around the Guide every more tightly.

* * *

Izuna stared at Hashirama gapping in shock “…what?” the Senju rubbed at his face, he looked tired and far more serious than Izuna had ever seen him (had ever really known Hashirama could be honestly, which was a little foolish in retrospect, the man _was_ a clan head) “Tobirama already has a one way bond with Madara, he pulled your brother out of a bad zone when he was fourteen-ish. That’s part of why he’s so worried about dragging Madara into a bond.” Izuna flushed as anger flashed through him “He would be lucky to have a bond with Madara, he doesn’t deserve-“ and the he recoiled when Hashirama’s eyes flashed with anger “_Don’t_ finish that sentence Izuna. _Don’t_. just. it’s not that he doesn’t _want_ the bond, but he can’t stand the idea of doing anything without Madara’s consent. It’s a big deal to him, you’re not the one that will have to hold him together after this when he tares himself apart over it.” Izuna licked his lips, hesitating in wariness of setting Hashirama off again “He- um. he has feelings? I, mean, I- he never _looks_ like he feels anything.” To Izuna’s surprise instead of getting angry Hashirama seemed to deflate, deep grief sliding over his face “He… my brother is… damaged. He was- I mean, he has emotions, rather to many of them but- those lines on his face? They’re not cosmetic, they’re seals designed to help him, but they take so much chakra to power that he only ever uses them at the lowest setting. Trust me, if you ever see them at full power you’ll never think him emotionless again.”

Izuna shivered, the dark agony in Hashirama’s voice unsettling him “I’m sorry” he whispered. Hashirama shrugged, visibly pulling himself together “Someone needs to run to the tower and tell them I won’t be back in today and them go let Mito know, she might be able to help later. And you need to make sure that something is being done about that _fool _that tried to kill my brother. Honestly, trying to attack a Guide when their Sentinel was feral and on their way out of zone is idiotic." Oh. Right. _that. _Izuna wasn’t going to forget that anytime soon, he could honestly say it was the first time he had ever been afraid of his brother when Madara had swatted a fireball out of the air with nothing more than his hand and suffered not even a single burn; the looking in Madara’s eyes…. Completely animal and disengaged from the world, feral and animal and utterly focused on protecting the pale shape next to him. yeah. Izuna never wanted to see that again. He pushed his mental flailing down, forcing himself not to flip out, this _was not_ the time. Hikaku, stepped up next to him, watching as Hashirama stacked his brother’s armor neatly near the door “He’s sort of terrifying” the other man muttered, Izuna glanced at him and nodded “Yeah, I forget that sometimes, but he’s Hokage for a reason I guess” Hikaku snorted “well, yes, him too. But I was talking about Tobirama-sama, I’ve _never_ even heard of a Guide that strong, and his self-control…. I don’t know if you could feel it, but he didn’t pull me _at all_, he even managed to make sure that he was walled off enough from me to keep me from even the most basic interest. That’s…. I had no idea that was even possible.” Izuna frowned down at his feet, struggling with himself “So, fuck this, ok, so basically you’re saying that this is the best Guide possible? Damn it, I don’t _like_ Senju” he pouted sulkily at the other wall; Hikaku shifted next to him with an inquiring sound “but my brother deserves only the best. If that means Senju then I better get used to it I guess.” He kicked to floor moodily (Hikaku snickered, _of course_ his firm belief that Madara should have the best of everything was what would overcome his distaste for the Ghost).

* * *

There was skin under his hands- he licked at the pulse point, his favorite spot now- and he breathed in the darker scent at the curve of hip and groin- “no ‘dara, you don’t want to do that”- hands in his hair coaxing him up- he went with a whine- scent said _please stay_\- but needed to make _his_ happy so he went- spread himself over long slim body under his- twisting them together- running his hands over everything bit of skin he could- wanted thin mesh gone- _his_ was panting- scent happy and warm and _delicious_\- tiny noises from _his_ of overwhelmed pleasure- he purred and _his_ shivered- _his’_ hands petting his hair “_’dara_”- dropped lower- tugged weakly at thin pants but didn’t pull at them- “you don’t want that ‘dara” _his_ was sad- let go of pants reluctantly- smoothed hands over strong thighs- _lovely_\- over sharp hipbones- _his_ needed to eat- a hand light over. **Oh**. he slipped up only just stopping himself from nuzzling at the warm hardness because- _his_ said no- panting inches over his denied treat- swallowing hard- trying not to drool- failing- slipped down again- to hard to resist if stay- _his _whimpered- scooting pants up to knees- pleased grateful purr at being allowed- sliding his hands over long calves and fine boned feet- sliding his mouth over every inch he could reach.

Madara shivered, at peace in a way he had never experienced, or at least not since he came online; he could hear… _everything, _all the quiet movements of the air in the room and even the muffled sounds from outside of the room (Null room? How was he hearing past the seals? What was going on?) and the soft sounds of quiet breathing next to him. There was someone with him? What? Movement, the person next to him stirred (scent swirled _vanillamintwater_) shifting closer and pressing in a warm line against him; he let out a slow breath, that felt… _wonderful_. Madara tried to force his hands to work, he wanted to pull the person closer, he thought that he knew them; he knew that he knew them, but he couldn’t… couldn’t place them. Whoever they were shifted again, and he moaned, they pressed closer and then – recoiled, scent going bitter and sad (_sage_ strong now)”I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry” what was going on? He pushed against the lethargy pulling him down, trying to force his way to wakefulness, trying to - fuck, was that, was that _salt?_ Had he made someone cry without even being awake? (Izuna was going to be impressed) and oh god, to have made _them_ cry, it made him want to cry as well to not be able to push back against the dark to wake and comfort them.


	26. as I Follow you (VI. DIII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all of these will be continued only in the separate fic, they're getting to long to put in here. There are also chapters there that aren't here from the past

Tobirama whimpered tightly, tears dripping down his face and he couldn’t seem to get himself to stop apologizing (“_I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry_”) staring at Madara’s face and the tight confused expression there; god this must be his worst nightmare, to be tied to Guide without his permission of even knowledge. He hadn’t done this right, he thought as he wiped at his cheeks, hopeless trying to stop the tears, he hadn’t kept it to only a sense imprint bond, not completely; this was far to close to a true bond even if it hadn’t tipped over the edge, Madara was never going to be able to choose another Guide (unless Tobirama died, that would break a sense bond and it wasn’t a true bond yet to take Madara with him when he died, so that was something at least). It was Tobirama’s fault, Madara would live and the albino could already tell that he would wake up after his body got over the trauma, he had done as his brother and Izuna had asked and destroyed every promise he had ever made to himself.

Shaking and sobbing Tobirama curled into a tight ball, hands fisting in his white hair and yanking hard, uncertain sharp aches slashing through him sharply (everything was ruined, everything was a hopeless ruin around his feet and he had only himself to blame) “_Oh Tobi_” the sound of his brother’s voice drew another sob out of his chest and Hashirama’s arms settling around him wasn’t the comfort it normally was (Hashirama’s arms aren’t the one he wanted around him) but he turned into Hashirama anyway, biting his lips bloody to keep the noises in and fighting the uncomfortable distortions of his face as it twisted (had the seals activated accidentally somehow?). “Oh little brother, you didn’t do anything wrong” Hashirama comforted, rubbing at the albino’s back gently; distantly Tobirama realized he was still apologizing and could make himself stop. There was movement near and Tobirama twisted father into his brother to hide from the observers; Hashirama must have responded because Tobirama felt his chest vibrate and then the older Senju shifted, his large haori swamping the slimmer man as it settled around the albino’s shoulders. A moment later Hashirama scooped him up, tucking Tobirama into his arms and standing in a smooth move; movement and a soft sound from behind him almost convinced Tobirama to turn and go back to Madara, (he had to make sure his Sentinel was alright) until he remembered what he had done to the Uchiha and choked back a high sound, curling into his brother and shutting out the world.

* * *

Izuna watched Hashirama stride out of the Uchiha house through the back door- planning to take the back-way home and keep others from seeing his brother in this state- and swallowed hard feeling bit ill; he had never…never thought that he would see that. Oh Hashirama had tried to keep him from seeing Tobirama as best he could but there had been no hiding the body language or the _sounds_ he was making, high and thin and heartbroken when he wasn’t apologizing (and god that was something Izuna _never_ wanted to hear again, it made his stomach lurch and ache just remembering it); Izuna hadn’t been able to escape the aftermath of what they had asked of Tobirama and he wished now that he had. Fuck but they needed Madara to wake up so Izuna could convince him that he did want his Guide and he did want _Tobirama _specifically, after all, Madara had to have the best Guide there was (and Izuna _never_ wanted to hear that sound again).

Izuna nodded sharply to himself, that was the plan, it was a _good_ plan. Madara would wake up and Hikaku would tell him how good a Guide Tobirama was and how he hadn’t pulled Hikaku at all (that was a ‘thing’ apparently), then Izuna would remind Madara that he had to have a Guide and he had almost died and that he should have only the best, and then they would go to Hashirama if they had too. Izuna didn’t think they would; clearly Tobirama _did_ have emotions (god the _sound _he made) and he was…nice-ish looking, certainly Madara had said once or twice things that indicated that he wasn’t averse to the albino’s looks. So step one; wait for Madara to wake up and hope Hashirama could keep Tobirama together until then, while he was waiting he would prep arguments and get Hikaku (and find the person that attacked his brother’s Guide.

* * *

Madara woke slowly, thought creeping in sluggishly preceded by instinct and senses; something was missing. Madara could smellhear _everything_ in a way that he never had before, with a clarity that he had never even dreamed of, but something was missing; he didn’t know what but the bed beside him was cold and empty, no matter how deeply he inhaled he couldn’t smell what he should (_vanillamintwatersage_,_ sage?_ _Salt_), couldn’t hear anyone but Izuna moving about the house. It ached, deep and painful and hot, a burn in his blood (_mine,find,mine,Guide,**find**_) that couldn’t be soothed as it jolted Madara awake; what?! desperate he searched through his mind, for what could be – wait (_“you don’t want that ‘dara”_) a voice, he had zoned and someone had been with him (**Guide**) (_“I’m sorry, I’m sorry_”). Madara threw himself into finding the fading traces of <strike>his</strike> the Guide trying to find (scent_vanillamintsweetwater_taste_saltandsweet_sound_richgentalvoice_feel_longpowerfulslenderform_) the Guide only to real back as soon as he realized what he was doing, no, _NO, _he didn’t want a Guide he – but, this was _his _Guide and “_I’m sorry, you don’t want that, I will not violate his self”_ was that true? Had Madara heard right even in a zone? Did he remember correctly? (was it even possible for there to be a Guide that perfect out there for him?)

Izuna cleared his throat at the door, peppermint tea in his hands and plain rice on the tray (like easy tastes that Madara could bare even after a zone, his brother was good about those things) “Madara?” the younger Uchiha asked and Madara could hear his heartrate going a little too fast “Where’s the Guide Izuna?” he asked hoarsely and Izuna shifted his weight uncomfortably, watching Madara closely as he responded carefully “It’s…a bit of a long story Mada” the Sentinel twitched (was he keeping Madara’s guide from him?) and forced himself to take a deep breath and reach for the tea, “Explain” it was only barely not a snarl but Izuna sat slowly on the end of the bed looking relived. “You zoned and a Guide was nearby, it was _bad_ Madara, not one you could ever have come out of on your own and I just-“ Izuna’s voice was wet “I thought you were going to die Mada, I thought I was going to loose you for good. and if that Guide- and that particular Guide- hadn’t been there you would have never come back, you would have died” Madara snarled a little, he _knew_ that, he knew how bad the zone had been and he knew the Guide must have been powerful to pull him out and he wanted to know what was going on! Izuna raised a placating hand “He’s powerful Mada, Hikaku says he’s never met or heard of a Guide this powerful or this controlled, Hikaku says that when the Guide let his **_presence_**” Izuna shivered a little at the memory and Madara wanted to purr “he’s never tried to pull or thrall anyone, it’s a big deal to him apparently” _“I will not violate his self” _ Madara swallowed hard (was it possible that a Guide like this was out there?) and Izuna continued “he almost refused to help you because he said it would form a larger bond – he already had a one-way bond with you apparently, from when he pulled you out of a zone in wind country” Madara, Madara could almost remember that, remember the scentsoundfeel of his Guide and a leopard standing watch by the mouth of a cave.

As if that was a key the other memories connected, all the little things he kept missing around the village, all the things he should have seen- gods, how could he have been so stupid?!- he had a Guide, had had a Guide for _years_ one that was good enough for him, one that wouldn’t try to force him to do anything, and he had left them alone to carry a one-way bond for years. How could he ever make that up to them? _Ever_ “Madara?” he jerked back to look at Izuna who was looking at him with trepidation. “Who is my Guide?” he asked as gently as he could (which wasn’t very), Izuna squirmed “Well that’s – I mean, he – he’s not…normal Madara. he’s damaged” (the idea of anyone speaking ill of _his _Guide made Madara’s lips pull back from his teeth but he fought the instinct off, he needed to hear this) “I don’t know much about it but there is something in him that is only holding on by a thread, Madara, I don’t – you can’t do anything until your _sure_, not until your positive that he’s what you want and your not going to push him away. I think - I think it might kill him” Izuna was dead serious too, Madara could put his Guide in danger if he acted without thinking. Snarling the Sentinel fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling and fighting down his flaring instincts; he would wait, he could wait until tomorrow he should be able to know he was thinking clearly then, and that was only a day. He could wait, he would go find his Guide tomorrow when he was sure his instincts weren’t the problem, he didn’t want to hurt his Guide whatever else he wanted (he wanted more, wanted a _true_ bond not this halfway thing, but he respected how hard it must have been to make sure that Madara wasn’t able to create a true bond given what he could remember and he wanted to respect his Guide’s strength of will. Once he was sure he would find he Guide and then - _“not without his consent. And he will never give that to **me**” _oh, what if – what if his Guide wasn’t – but no, Madara was sure he was someone he could care for) (and if white hair flashed through his head he put if out of his mind, that was not a possibility)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://archiveofourown.org/works/21248393/chapters/50592497 
> 
> (I have no idea how to connect a proper link but here is the url)


	27. as I Follow you (VI.EI)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for senroh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there is a format for chapters of these stories, two paragraphs of Tobirama, two of a third person (Mito, Hashirama ect), two of Madara. I've bent this before because I needed more room with Madara, but this time when I got to him I sort of just gave up (he kept talking about how pretty Tobirama was and wouldn't shut up)

Tobirama thought that this was a little like watching a Uchiha fireball hit gasoline in slow motion (he had seen that once, it had been amazing and horrifying- well, more amazing than anything), there was nothing he could do but he already knew there was about to be screaming and running and pain. He drew in a deep breath as Sarutobi turned to him “And you’ll come with us of course? Right? After all we’re supposed to be at peace- peace for over a year- and what better way to demonstrate that than to be at our most vulnerable.” …had they forgotten that he was a suiton user? Hashirama stiffened beside him, well aware of Tobirama’s unwillingness to undress around anyone that wasn’t – well, wasn’t Hashirama “I’m sure that that’s not needed” he said (Tobirama was proud of his ability to keep his voice even and calm, it wasn’t easy for his emotional brother) watching the council with close eyes; Sarutobi smirked (Tobirama was beginning to wonder if he had ever done something to make the other man _hate_ him so much or if it was just the normal revulsion he always seemed to prompt in others) “I’m sure he doesn’t mind, what could he possibly have to hide? We’re all shinobi here after all, I’m sure there is nothing new.” (Tobirama felt his hands shake) Hashirama’s hands clenched on the arms of his chair, wood twisting under his fingers “I can’t imagine why you are so invested in this Sarutobi” he was struggling to keep his voice above a hiss and Tobirama dropped his hand down to rest on his brother’s shoulder. “Very well” he said evenly, squeezing Hashirama’s shoulder gently when his brother flinched; Sarutobi smirked.

The hot springs had always been a place of calm for Tobirama and he… regretted that that was never going to be the same after this, still, what must be, must be and this mattered for some reason to Sarutobi so he would deal (he had too). He ignored the chatter of the clan heads as he untied his armor (Madara was here, it was a solace and a torment all at once – he always felt safer with the Uchiha but he didn’t, didn’t want Madara to see him, couldn’t bare it) until he heard a sharp voice (Shimura, not the clan head, his niece a rude, flirty girl <strike>Tobirama hated her</strike> that perused Madara fanatically) speak up “I know it’s all wonderful that we get along now but are we really going to get in _the water_ with Senju Tobirama? I mean, just asking” he glanced at her over his shoulder as he unfastened to fur that protected his throat, grimacing when he saw the girl’s eyes fastened on Madara waiting for him to agree with her probably. He turned away again bending to the wraps around his lower legs, unwinding them methodically as he listened to the sudden ruckus until so fool pipped up (Tobirama could tell who in the noise) “-a chakra seal would-“ Tobirama couldn’t have stopped the full body flinch (dark room and the smell of blood and sex, metal biting around his wrists) if he had been given days to prepare. He turned to look over his shoulder in time to see his brother dressed only in his hakama _burn_ with anger, turning on the Shimura as the floor under his feet flexed “_You’re_ the ones that wanted him to come, the ones that _forced_ him to come, that is more than enough-“ Tobirama turned away, tuning out the voices with his brother’s protective anger burning at his back a reassuring warmth (he forced himself not to look at an increasingly naked Madara, he would make the Uchiha uncomfortable he knew <strike>even if the knowledge was a knife to his throat</strike>).

* * *

Yamanaka Kiku might have been old but there was a reason that her clan head had brought her to every council meeting; she was watchful, careful and observant and held her own counsel (much to Ichirou’s frustration sometimes when she refused to speak to him until she sorted through her thoughts), and had seen more in her long life than almost any. Her time with the Gashia had taught her more than just how to behave in a way that hid everything and convinced men to talk to her about everything, and after that there had been the time working with Guides (she forced down a shiver at the thought of that time, it was a travesty in every way) which had lead her back to the clan compound permanently to see that no Yamanaka Guide was ever treated thus; she had forced the clan to give up the Spur-braking of Guides (as the sister of the clan head at the time and one of their most accomplished assassins she had the power to do that, barely but enough) and forced changes to the Adjustment, overseeing it herself and slowly swaying the clan away from belief that it was necessary. Her old observant eyes saw what others might not have (though she had noticed the way the Uchiha clan head’s eyes seemed to wander to the pale Senju as if drawn to a loadstone- it was too bad that the albino wasn’t a Guide, if he was and was a little less cold they would be a good match), she saw the Senju coolly striping off his armor and clothing, reacting to the fuss behind him only when a chakra seal was brought up (as a sensor chakra seals would be _extremely_ uncomfortable, but for the ever controlled Senju to react like that) otherwise simply undressing (he seemed to calm as his brother got angry, sometimes it was possible to forget how frightening the Senju clan head was, and then there was times like this).

As he striped his shirt off over his head Kiku snuck another glance at him (and tried not to snicker, she wondered if Uchiha had realized that he had all but stopped undressing to watched) trying to –

_no_

_no_

_please sweet kami no_

_oh, but that sweet boy, oh terrible kami why_

_how-? How strong must he be to be still so calm, to be so restrained and protect them so_

Kiku was hardly aware of freezing, hand pressed tightly to her mouth as nausea surged through her at the sight of the small red scars scattered from Tobirama’s skin from his rib cage almost to his knees (like tiny bloody stars spread over a moon-pale sky), so thick in some places as to paint white skin a variegated vermilion. (She didn’t even see dark Uchiha eyes dart to her or the frown on Madara’s face at the horrified look) She swallowed convulsively, trying desperately to force down the bile; if Tobirama had gone so long hiding this, had held his sanity under even under, under - if he had survived all of this she wouldn’t be the person to let those that would take advantage of his pain know his secret, wouldn’t be the one to do that when he deserved her respect, more of it than she had ever given another. Kiku dropped her head, pulling her eyes away from the scaring with difficulty as Tobirama moved to wash; all thought of politics and matchmaking driven right from her head.

* * *

Madara had been certain this entire farce was a bad idea when he had seen Hashirama stiffen at the idea of bathing with his brother, when he had heard the change in Tobirama’s breathing and seen the suddenly white knuckles but the Senju brothers were given little option as the council pressured them (and Madara knew it must be on Tobirama’s behalf, he had bathed with Hashirama before, knew the man to be not the slightest bit body shy, so why were they so tense at the idea of Tobirama bathing communally?); it was clear from their reactions that _something_ was wrong and it bothered him to not know what (it bothered Izuna too though he had no way to know that Tobirama was distressed without Sentinel senses, but then his little brother had always watched Tobirama with overwhelming suspicion). Even without knowing though he _wasn’t ok_ with the way that both brothers looked (sounded, Tobirama’s heart was racing worryingly, and _why_ wasn’t that on his face) and the way that Hashirama was pressed close to his brother as he could be without giving to much away; the fact that he didn’t know how to help made his skin itch, (when had he become so invested in Tobirama and _why?_) and no amount of telling himself he was being foolish made any difference at all really. Madara couldn’t help settling himself a little between Tobirama and the rest of the room, fairly close to where Hashirama was doing the same farther into the room ensuring that anyone would have to slip past both of them to get close to the younger Senju without making it obvious; for now that would have to be enough for Madara’s antsy instincts (why were they running in overdrive?).

It was ok, for a while, as they all stripped off formal robes with or without armor (Madara was more than a little fascinated to see that Tobirama held his happuri on with _chakra_ not ties of some sort, that was impressive control), it was fine (ish, Tobirama’s heart rate and breathing were worrying him) until that _bitch_ Shimura spoke up in her whiny grating voice (he swore she could send him into a zone all on her own) and pointed out what Madara had been wondering about for a while but no one else seemed to have realized; getting into the water with Tobirama was walking into a dry August field with an Uchiha, except _worse_. Idiots. They immediately disintegrated into shouting right up until someone mentioned a chakra seal (Madara winced that would be cruel to a sensor) and _panic_ pure and raw flashed through Tobirama, spiking his scent (there was something..) with terror as his heartrate and breathing got worse, freezing as his hands shook. And then Hashirama’s temper- normally easily soothed and hard to rile- _exploded_, the entire building flexing (he could hear the wood creak, smell the fibers shift, see the ripple of given life) as he sprung to his brother’s defense; Tobirama’s back and scent eased, the fear abating a little (had he really though that they <strike>Madara</strike> would let something like that happen?) with his brother’s anger.

Madara stripped his shirt over his head, reaching to tie his hair up and twist it into a messy knot near the tope of his head (it was a pain when wet) and glancing at the Senju as he did so, hardly noticing when his movements sowed as he watched the slim back flex as long fingered pale hands curled in the edge of his shirt and stripped it over his head in one sharp movement (he was afraid again); Madara swallowed, entranced by the play of long strong muscles under china white skin and swirling red tattoos spread over his shoulders like the fur he normally wore. His eyes dropped appreciatively, skimming down the graceful spine and frowning a little at the odd marks all over his sides; what _were _they? Without a closer look Madara couldn’t even tell if they were scars or more- if strange- tattoos given the way two long red tapered lines dropped off the main tattoo along his ribs and vanished in the odd red scar like marks (but what left scars like that? In that strange pattern Madara had never seen before?). a sudden shift in scent and tight sound made he twitch, dragging his eyes away from Tobirama with difficulty (he might be a cold bastard- maybe?- but there was no denying he was a beautiful one) and looking at the Yamanaka elder; the look on her face and sudden nausea (wait, why were his senses so strong and calm right now?) making his movements stutter, she looked… she looked horrified, like she had seen something the denizens of hell itself rise up in front of her, looked like she was going to be _sick._ And it wasn’t just horror in her gaze, it was… awe? And respect and grief and guilt as she gazed at Tobirama’s ribs; clearly _she_ knew what those marks were.

The woman dropped her eyes as Tobirama stripped off his pants (even distracted and concerned Madara had to take a moment to admire the way his ass looked, _damn_ but his pants did him no justice at all, that was… _wow_) and moved to wash off, his back tight and pulling tighter one he got out of Hashirama’s shadow where his brother was no longer between him and the rest of the room; Madara moved before he thought, striping down quickly and efficiently before moving to stand next to the albino (not too close, his breathing stuttered when he saw Madara and the Uchiha didn’t want to make him uncomfortable) and between him and the others, far more pleased than he should have been when the narrow shoulders relaxed with Madara a ballast between him and those that would deride him. The Uchiha forced his eyes ahead as he rinsed off (no matter how much he wanted to watching Tobirama) keeping his hair carefully out of the water and joined a moment later by a sharp eyed Izuna; he had to pace himself carefully to make sure that he was done only seconds after the albino- and just as they were joined by other counselors to wash off- as stood practically after the other man to slip out of the room and into the cooler air around the hot springs (Hashirama gave him a glance when he saw Madara following his brother, worried and watchful, but his shoulders dropped a little anyway, he knew that whatever Madara thought about Tobirama he would keep an eye on the younger man for Hashirama’s sake if nothing else).

It wasn’t until the albino slipped gracefully in the water that Madara noticed (for fucks sake, _how_ had it take him that long to notice) because the sound he made as hot soothing water-a deep rich hum- set off a sense memory in Madara (_strong fingers in his hair, a perfect touch to sooth and stimulate, a rich warm voice humming a song he didn’t know and luring him out of the empty gray space, the smell of **darkvanillafreshcrispmintsweetwater** a siren’s song he followed out of the deep_). Transfixed the Uchiha shifted closer as the pale Senju slipped under the water, rising up out of it with another pleased hum as a little sweat beaded on his skin from the heat and let his scent spike in the space and **_vanillamintwatersage_** slipped through Madara’s senses like the taste of fresh air after a long imprisonment (_<strike>Guide</strike>_); it was…. Madara shivered, keeping himself from going to (_Guide_) the Senju only with strength of will and the forced knowledge that he had no way of knowing for sure that Tobirama _was_ a Guide, after all the other man had never given even the slightest indication that he was one. And wasn’t that interesting, _if _Tobirama was a Gide that meant he had never once given it away, never once tried to pull any Sentinel (never tried to pull _Madara,_ never tried to force him, and a Guide had told him once that it was almost impossible not to pull at a Sentinel of his strength), never once tried to use Thrall to his advantage on the battlefield, never once overrode another’s choices.

Madara watched as Hashirama joined his little brother, retreating to the other side of the pool against the pull of suddenly awake senses; Izuna settling beside him startled him (Izuna fought not to gape, he hadn’t surprised his brother since he cam online) and he blinked out of his too tight focus (_vanilla-richdark-mint-refreshing_) to stare to his brother. He gave his head a good shake and frowned down at the water; he had always promised himself that he would _never_ take a Guide, never be controlled (Tobirama had never tried to control anyone) but the zones had been getting worse and (a strong back and shaking hands and Hashirama leaning close in comfort) and he wasn’t unaware of what was coming if he couldn’t get them under control. “Izuna” he said, slow and quiet “if I found a Guide, one that I thought I could want, and one that had never tried to pull or thrall anyone but they were… someone you hated, someone I almost can’t trust, what would-“ Izuna grabbed his hands, holding tight “You should try to see if they fit you, if there’s even the smallest _chance _that you could stand them, could bond, you should try. No matter who they are. After all if they’ve never tired to force someone they can’t be that bad, right? Please brother, I don’t want to lose you. I promise I would learn to love them for your sake, if hey could keep you safe I wouldn’t _care_ who they were, not even if they were the Senju Demon himself.” Madara smirked a little, because, well, with an answer like that was he supposed to do?

He nodded, taking a deep breath “Ok, I don’t know if they are a Guide but, I’ll check, it will be easy enough.” He gave himself a good shake, drifting over to where Tobirama was relishing the heat, a delicate flush distracting Madara for a moment before he moved closer; Hashirama was distracted talking to the Nara head, he hadn’t noticed that Madara was coming closer to his brother or the way that Tobirama was having difficulty reaching his back with the cloth in his hands (scars then, that made the most sense as something that could impede movement). Madara slipped closer, hardly noticing the way his focus was narrowing, “Let me wash your back?” he asked (those nearby started, sending entranced looks at the Uchiha and Senju), Tobirama started (heartrate and hands, face still utterly still), hesitated “I couldn’t ask-“ Madara shifted closer, voice dropping “Please?” Tobirama looked at him, something shifting behind his (pretty) red eyes before sagging a little (there was no way he could ever say no to his Sentinel, to _Madara_ who was wonderful and passionate and cared and smart and-) “Yes, if you wish too” Madara nodded, trying to keep his growing anticipation out of his face as he stepped closer and took the cloth from unresisting fingers.

Madara forced his hands not to shiver with anticipation as Tobirama turned his back, focus so narrow that he didn’t even notice the silence from the rest of the group or the way Izuna was _gapping_ (he knew he had said - but he hadn’t actually _thought_ -); Madara followed those long red lines (they almost looked like a seal) with his eyes, dipping the cloth in the water and bringing up his hands to slide the rough fabric down Tobirama’s back (the skin under the cloth jumped and shivered, Madara’s mouth was watering) entranced. It was hardly even a thought to slide his fingers sideways as he brought his hands up again and let his bare skin brush against the albino’s for the first time (**MINE**); and all the many little almost zones (standing at the gate waiting for Mito, at the festival with an aching head), the large deep one recently (a rich voice humming), even as a teenager in Wind country (a large leopard watching him), flashed through his head all at once. He shifted his weight- his was breathing fast, he could feel it where his hands were spread over heaving ribs, rag forgotten- wanting to move closer but – “Are you mine?” he asked, voice rough and deep (eyes in the pool went huge, Tobirama was facing away from them but-); a hesitation, then a slump, resignation and exhaustion “Yes” echoing more than it should in the space “but you are not mine, so there is nothing to-“ Madara was moving forward before he knew it, plastering himself against the narrow back as close as he could (ooooohhhh, that felt…) at the tired, sad sound of those words.

Tobirama jolted, spasming in his arms, a tight wanting noise sliding out too quietly for anyone but Madara to hear; the Uchiha tucked him closer, one arm around sharp hip and the other angled across his chest to press a hand to his heart, tucking his nose to the fast pulse point and breathing in the smell that had so often saved him from the zone – his, _his,_ his Guide, _his_. “Why” he asked, “why are you mine but not me yours?” (behind them Hashirama shifted, putting himself between the observers and his brother and best friend), Tobirama shuddered, shaking “A one-way bond is still a bond, one willingly taken. But I would _never_ force you to-“ Madara nuzzled impossibly closer “I know.” He rasped, then “Let me _feel _you Guide” Tobirama twitched and Madara tightened his hold; a moment later he was rewarded as Tobirama’s **_Presence_ **unfurled over the silent spring, spreading like feathering oncoming night and making Madara’s arms lock around him. The Uchiha didn’t even think, teeth sinking into white skin and his own senses expanding, soaking in the _scentfeeltastesound_ of his Guide “Madara, you’ll bond” Tobirama whispered, aghast; Madara bit harder, there was no way he was completing a bond _here_ but this was enough for now, enough to lock _his_ Guide in his mind as tightly in his mind as he could “**MINE**”.


	28. as I Follow you (VI. EII)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it got sad again....

Tobirama was… confused. He didn’t understand what was going on, he didn’t know why Madara wanted to touch him, he didn’t know how Madara realized he was a Guide- he had been traying _so hard_ to keep from making Madara uncomfortable-, he didn’t know why Madara asked him if he was Madara’s, didn’t want to tell him – but there was nothing he wouldn’t do if Madara asked and no question he wouldn’t answer truthfully for <strike>his</strike> the Sentinel. “Yes” but he had to tell Madara that that didn’t mean anything, that Tobirama knew that that didn’t mean anything that – oh. (_guh_) _ooohhh_, that, ah, he couldn’t stop the noise that slid past his teeth, shuddering at the feeling of so much bare skin on his, at those _amazing_ muscles pressed close and warm (Madara had a tendency of taking off his shirt at the slightest provocation, Tobirama hated it almost as much as he _loved_ it). Madara was asking him something and Tobirama forced himself to focus, had to answer, _had_ to “A one-way bond is still a bond, one willingly taken. But I would _never_ force you to-“ but Madara interrupted him with a shifting of skin on skin (_ooohhh_) and asked him - and there was nothing Tobirama wouldn’t give Madara if asked for it; he reached, touching the walls inside his heart, unwinding the lines of seal and self-control and letting his _presence_ slide out (only a little, not to much, hold the roaring whirlpool inside tight, don’t let it pull at anyone - anything, control, let it out only in tiny swells only in little ripples, nothing more).

His attention to control was shattered (but not the control?) when teeth sank into his shoulder (somehow it was easier now, control clearer with his Sentinel’s teeth on his skin) and Tobirama, Tobirama had to fight it, _had _too “Madara, you’ll bond” he whispered, desperate to keep the Uchiha from falling into a bond he couldn’t undo and uncertain as to why this was even happening. _Why_ could Madara be doing this? Unless, had his instincts gotten the better of him? (that felt insulting to the Sentinel, he knew Madara was strong enough to never lose control like this, but there was no other reason Tobirama could think of for his wanting Tobirama at all) Madara’s teeth dug in deeper and Tobirama’s mind filled with white noise as Madara said “**MINE**”

Tobirama whimpered

his hand snapped back and up, fingers tangling in the dark hair where it was pulled up and back out of the water. He _wanted_. He hadn’t known he _could _want anymore (he had to tell Madara- _iron around his wrists, every finger held still in twisting chains_\- before anything), but _here_, he couldn’t - not here “_No_” he whimpered. Madara froze going utterly still and starting to draw back- no, that wasn’t- “_not here_, _please_” Madara pressed close again, nuzzling into his neck and petting at Tobirama's shivering sides. “Alright, alright, easy” the Uchiha whispered, there was movement and Madara murmuring to someone behind them but Tobirama couldn’t think past the gentle hands smoothing over his sides (over the scars covering his skin), couldn’t get his mind to shift past the overwhelming sensation of so much touch - far more than Tobirama had felt since he was a child. “Come on pretty eyes, focus now” Madara coaxed, Tobirama blinked, trying to pay attention to what was going on around him.

* * *

Hashirama smiled reassuringly at little at his little brother, it was, um, fucking awkward, _really_ fucking awkward to kneel in front of his little brother and best friend with both of them naked and pressed together like Madara was trying to make sure the albino could never get away (….actually that might be what was happening) but after kicking everyone (except Izuna who wouldn’t leave) else out he needed to help them get to Madara’s home as fast as he could and both of them looked a little like intentional movement was completely beyond them (especially Tobirama, his face was even showing small twitches of emotion, Hashirama shoved back the tears at that.) “Come on little brother, let go, just for a moment, let me get you in a robe and you can go home” he coaxed; Tobirama let go reluctantly, hands shaking like leaves in the wind and trying his best to focus on Hashirama. Madara unpeeled himself from his Guide (aww, no, Hashirama didn’t want to see that look, _he didn’t want to see that look Madara_) and hurried to climb out of the pool almost falling when he couldn’t take his eyes off Tobirama; Hashirama grimaced and looked at his little brother again, coaxing his shaking form out of the water and into a Hashirama’s over robe (it was too big of course, which made him look even frailer than he was).

“Did I do something wrong?” Tobirama asked in a tiny voice (Madara heard it, freezing as Sentinel senses caught the words) and Hashirama leapt to reassure him “_No_, no Tobira, you didn’t do anything wrong, Madara’s just getting dressed, he’ll be right back, just give him a minute.” The older Senju said, voice warm and light. Madara touched his shoulder, his eyes were dark and not totally focused visibly fighting back the instincts that were pulling at him as he tried to get Tobirama somewhere safe. “What’s going on?” Madara asked on the edge of a growl “Why is he so upset and out of it and why – I mean, why can’t he look like he clearly feels?” Hashirama sighed, chewing on his lip sharply “When we get him to your house, I’ll tell you when he’s safe.”

* * *

Madara forced himself to stay in control, _forced_ himself not to tear Hashirama’s throat out for touching _Madara’s_ Guide, focused on getting back to his home, back where he could get Tobirama safe and figure out what was going on; they slipped in the back door, flashing through with enough speed that most people would only get the briefest of glances as they moved past (of Madara with a look of predator intent on his handsome face, of Hashirama- dark and focused- carrying his pale brother swamped in his large robe and looking nothing short of fragile with his face turned away, of Izuna following them silently with a thoughtful frown). As soon as they were in the door Madara led the way to the Null room, aiming for the safest place in the house to get his Guide calmed; Hashirama laid Tobirama on the bed as Madara kicked off his sandals and over robe again, snarling with frustration as Tobirama made a terrible sound of sadness and pulling the albino into his lap on the bed as fast as he could, relaxing a little when Tobirama calmed somewhat “**Explain**” he snarled.

Hashirama sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed with a sigh and curling his hand around Tobirama’s fine boned ankle “It’s… a long story. And I’m not sure how much _I _should tell you but, well, he’s so upset because he’s overwhelmed. It’s not been easy today, bathing with others- letting others see the scars on his sides- is not – not good for him and then when that _bitch_” wow, Madara had never heard Hashirama call someone that before “suggested a chakra seal it reminded him of, um, of what happened when he got the scars. So he was on edge and fighting flashbacks and feeling threatened and then. He never, would have expected this and having it happen when he was vulnerable. As for the other… it’s easiest to show you I guess.” Hashirama reached out with chakra coated fingers and shooting a glance at Madara before he touched Tobirama, Madara nodded jerkily and Hashirama’s fingers brushed over the red line on Tobirama’s cheek. The change shocking enough that Madara flinched closer at it; one second Tobirama was tucked against him shaking and almost whimpering but with his face completely still (honestly the dichotomy was a little unnerving) the next the red tattoos light up and then Tobirama’s face _filled_ with expression.

It was like emotion was a sudden color soaking up through the still ivory until his expression matched his body language perfectly, he was suddenly _so_ expressive that it almost hurt to see, the difference was painful and eye opening; there was a tight inhale from the door and Madara shot a look at Izuna who was staring at Tobirama with a horrified expression. Hashirama sighed “Father had Tobira spur-broken when he was fifteen and it… shattered him. not totally, he’s still sane and he tries his best but his bond with you wasn’t enough to keep him together, not with it being oneway” Madara started at that, the bond with him? “So we made some seals, things that could help him and support him, make it easier. For the most part they work- I mean, he’s still alive- but these ones” he gestured at his face “they take so much chakra that brother almost never uses them, it’s to hard to keep them active. And he says that at this point if people saw him wandering around and feeling things they would think he’d been replaced or something, better to just let things stay as they were. I didn’t like it, but the seals are hard to keep up, I don’t have the energy to keep them running for very long so…”

Hashirama looked down at where he was playing with his brother’s long fingers, a tight agonized look on his face. He didn’t see Madara or Izuna’s horrified looks “Did you ever wonder why his hands show you what he’s feeling? Why they shake when his face never changes?” Hashirama was far away, hardly talking to them anymore “It’s because they bound his hands- smart enough not to let him make any hand signs- wrapped every finger in rough chains and pulled them tight until he couldn’t even twitch. It was almost a month before they healed enough for him to use his hands again, Father was furious.” Hashirama held up on pale hand, tilting it until the light caught on silvery white scaring that covered his entire hand. Madara felt like he was going to be sick. He took a shuddering breath, pressing his nose to white hair, stroking a pale cheek under the glowing seal torn between loving the emotion on his face and hating what it meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry nimcat, it got sad but I promise there is more cuddling again soon! Lots of cuddling and I hope it helps with things being rough right now


	29. as I Follow you (VI. FI)

Tobirama shivered in the night air the coolness of it not touching him at all in comparison to the ache of the anger seeping in from the other side of the Senju compound walls; how had this happened (foolish, he knew how this had happened and it was his fault), how had his status as a Guide and a powerful one shattered his brother’s dream so deeply? He had known it would but he had allowed his brother to convince him and- like an idiot- he had allowed himself to begin to hope, begin to think that maybe everything would be ok, that maybe Mito could help enough, that maybe in time Madara would think better of him and Tobirama would be able to – well. clearly he was as much a fool as he had always thought he was; it had only been a week since his Guide status had come out and already the village was fracturing, falling apart under their feet not matter what they tried (the people doubted _Hashirama _now, as if this wasn’t all because of him and his dream, as if they didn’t owe him everything, but no, what if the White Demon had him in thrall?). Noise at the door almost convinced him to turn as Hashirama spilled out into the garden “Tobi? What are you doing?! Taking a mission-“ “Calm down Hashi, I just – maybe getting me out of the village will help. If I’m gone long enough then they will see I _can’t_ have you in thrall and maybe you’ll have a chance to get this under control” in any other time Hashirama would never have listened and Tobirama felt a little bad for taking advantage of his brother’s exhaustion but…this was for the best (Madara- his Sentinel- recoiling from his touch, from his _presence_) “Very well, you can have the mission little brother” Hashirama whispered, aching hope in his voice (he thought this would work, thought this would help, Tobirama was scum for doing this wasn’t he?).

Tobirama looked at the men before him, they were strong, _very_ strong; the gold and silver brothers were a terrible foe on any day and Tobirama was already tired after completing the delivery mission for the Daimyo. But he had a secret weapon and he would not suffer this enemy to live and hurt his people later, not when they spoke of Hashirama, not when they spoke of _Madara_ (of trapping him with a guide the other new village was grooming, of forcing him into a bond he didn’t want or consent to- like the one with Tobirama); it was easy with a threat to his Sentinel to call up the power of a Guide in full anger to let his _Presence_ wash out of him and roll over the men that would hurt those dearest to him. He would not survive this, but that was never the plan- he had known form the reports that they were in this area- all he had to do was bring them down with him.

* * *

Hashirama looked out the window again and Touka frowned a little “What’s wrong?” she asked gruffly, he chewed at his lip for a moment “I – Tobirama had been gone for such a long time” he whispered and Touka frowned “Has it been to long? Is he overdue?” Hashirama shook his head, “Not yet but…there was something when he left and I just – he offered to leave you remember, and I – I’m worried” he whispered and Touka pressed her lips together tightly, she did remember Hashirama sobbing into her shoulder after Tobirama offered that, remembered Tobirama looking at her with tired eyes remembered that all too well. She looked out the window at the village that she…well, she didn’t love it, couldn’t love it when she had seen what they would do to her little cousin when Sarutobi got his claws into the rumor mill. Though, she smirked a little, things would be different when he came back (he had to come back) after she and the Senju that know what Tobirama was got their fingers in the rumor mill; after all it was easy to start poking holes in the things people were saying about Tobirama when he had had so long to do what they said he had done and had never chosen to do so, after he had been gone for long enough that there was just no way he had Hashirama- or anyone else- under thrall, after he had never given any sign he was a Guide even when it would have helped him, after she started digging up dirt on Sarutobi’s relationships with Guides in the past (and _oh_ was there _dirt_) and pointed out why he might speak badly of them. The only question was if she was going to get the Yamanaka involved.

“He’ll come back” she told Hashirama (he had too) “and when he does the village will be better, we’re already making progress with that Hashi and Madara will back us up if you let me _tell_ him why he’s starting to have more micro zones, especially if the Yamanaka start talking; you _know_ he’s not what a normal spur-broken Guide is and if we tell them they might know what he is fighting against, they won’t think ill of him if they know, you just have to let me tell people if you want him safe” Hashirama blew out a harsh breath tapping his fingers on the desk sharply. Touka knew that he didn’t want to break Tobirama’s confidence or making things worse for him, didn’t want to make his brother face the sort of questions that this might encourage but at this point did it even matter? He already couldn’t leave the Senju compound by the time he left without crumpling under the strength of the miasma of bitter distrust that filled Konoha. “Alright” Hashirama said quietly “alright, tell whoever you needed to. Better he resent me than he die thinking it is better for us.”

* * *

Madara frowned darkly at Izuna, seething with anger at the stubborn look on his face “A rumor Izu, a _rumor_, that’s all. That’s all the proof you have that the Senju is my Guide” Izuna snorted roughly “Yeah, a rumor, and you aren’t zoning at least twice as bad since he left. As if he wasn’t he only Guide strong enough to match you, as if he wasn’t the _only_ Guide that had never tried to pull you, or thrall you, or _anything_. Madara, _think_, where else will you find someone like this and I _know_ that you think he’s attractive so that’s not the problem” Madara bared his teeth at his brother “I don’t want a Guide” he hissed and Izuna laughed, “Yeah? Would you say that to his face? Because you might have to. Touka, yes Touka Senju, told me that he found you in a zone years ago and dragged you out of it, told me that he formed a bond with you then and still walked away because he didn’t want to do that to you. Told me he has been dragging you out of zones since we formed he village. So when he comes back I fully intend to bring him here to you and you’ll have to tell him that to his face, tell him that you don’t want him even after everything he has done for you” Madara stared, stunned into silence, Tobirama had, _Tobirama_ was the one that had pulled Madara out of those zones? Tobirama was the one that had – “I thought you hated him Izuna, I - Sarutobi said” Madara stuttered, Izuna threw up his hands with an angry sound “Yeah, that was before I knew that he had been helping you like this! I thought you were smarter than to listen to men like Sarutobi. When did you let fear control you Madara?” Madara looked away, Izuna was…right, Madara – Madara closed his eyes and imagined Tobirama standing before him knowing what he knew now, and – oh. _shit. fuck_, the only thing he could imagine doing was dragging his Guide into his arms and trying to make it up to him for the time he pulled back when he saw the other man, trying to make up to him the way he had been treated since Sarutobi had started “I need my Guide” he whispered “I need to – I have to make it up to him Izu”.

Izuna sighed and tucked himself closer to Madara’s side, leaning heavily against his brothers side and Madara was _so_ grateful for his brother; Tobirama was late, overdue for his return date and he could feel the tension in the village, the way that it was torn between those that would force the Guide out and those that wanted him back to tuck him into the heart of the village and keep him there until they could make him safe (it was the special providence of Guides, those that were loved instead of feared were held more dear than anything in the world by their community), the Uchiha and Senju more than any other (it was strange to feel both clan so closely aligned in this, the first time he could remember seeing the two founding clans talking quietly as they plotted ways to get help Tobirama and Madara and their star crossed love- Madara didn’t even care how the story was being told, at this point he just wanted Tobirama back). Madara shivered as his memory wandered- as it did so often now- the day after Tobirama was supposed to be back, wandered to seeing a too thin, scarred snow leopard with chains on its neck and ankles appear before him looking at him with large tired red eyes before fading into nothing and leaving a broken ache in Madara’s chest like it had been filled with broken glass. “Izuna” Madara heard Touka speak from far anyway “how is he?” “I don’t know, something happened yesterday and he’s – he’s ben in and out ever since” Izuna replied and Touka made a sound like a hard sob; wait, she had been part of those sent out to find Tobirama hadn’t she? “What happened?” he asked roughly. Touka’s jaw was tight and her eyes were red and swollen “He, he didn’t even try to run. He never even tried to get away” she said brokenly “I should have known, Hashirama knew – he was so convinced we would be better without him, kept offering to banish himself and I – I should have gone after him sooner” “Touka” Izuna said “what happened?” but the ground was already falling out from under Madara and he knew what she would say before she did “He’s dead”


	30. I will find you in the Rue (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some days there is nothing left to live for except saying a big Fuck You to the assholes that hold your leash, just, maybe don't say it near the giant incomplete seal that is supposed to move people across the world in one go, any maybe don't use blood and chakra to say it, and you probably shouldn't fall in after your best friend when she takes a leap into the unknown. Though it can't be worse on the other side than it already is.  
So go the fuck for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wildly AU in every way. Inspired by raspberry  
"Tobirama and Madara are actually from different time periods, and madara is like this King of old. And Tobirama is not exactly a history buff, but everyone knows how the king fell in love with one of his gaurds, a fierce warrior, and how they courted each other for months before the gaurd vanished on the day of their wedding. And stricken with grief the king died shortly after taking his own life.  
When of Tobirama's experiments backfires and sends him back in time, he decides not to change anything. Except in a weird twist of fate he ends up being the King's gaurd and he starts to really admire him "read have a big dorky crush" so he just decides to change one tiny thing. He will make sure that the king lives a happy long life, he just has to find the idiot gaurd who stole the King's heart and make sure he never does this time."
> 
> and then it got strange, so yes, jutsu has fussed with alchemy and then Tobirama sort of turned into Harley Quuin from Suicide Squad, so...... yeah

Tobirama was…. annoyed. That was a good word for it. annoyed. This set of experiments were just _fucking_ stupid and if the General asked him _one more fucking time_ if it was finished he was walking the fuck out of here. He sat back wiping at his forehead with a chalk covered hand- fucking alchemy- and stared at the seal array on the floor, it wasn’t enough to do what the General wanted but he was _done_ for today so the old man could just suck it as far as Tobirama was concerned, he wanted to go home. Or, well, not go home, but just not be here anymore and- he took a deep breath, trying to ignore the way it shook; he was doing this for a reason, it would be worth it, it had to be worth it. “Tobirama?” a soft voice called, and he forced his back to straighten and his face into something calm and steady “Mito, I thought you left already.” The redhead smiled a little, a tense expression that sat too familiarly on her lovely face, “You should know I wouldn’t leave without you, honestly Tobirama, it’s like you’ve forgotten we have to finish our book.” He grimaced biting back a growl of annoyance, cameras might not work in a casting chamber, but microphones definitely did, for Mito to be pulling out code… “Alright Red, give me a minuet to wash my hands.” He said and she nodded glancing over his work as he walked past, her eyebrows going up as she got a good look and sending him a shocked look; he shook his head as slightly as he could, she blew out a slow breath but didn’t argue and followed him out into the night, slipping on to her motorcycle as Tobirama settled himself behind her and they blasted through the city’s too bright lights (Tobirama missed when the night was actually the _night_, missed knowing- mattering- what time of day it was, what season, but those days were gone now for years).

Mito pulled the helmet off, releasing a flood of sunset colored hair to spill over her shoulders as he led the way into his Spartan apartment, once upon a time it would have been filled with books and little trinkets from his trips all over the world but now… now it was little more than a place to sleep at night for all its rich top of the line appliances; the only mark of habitation a small pile of paperback books stacked next to the couch- he slept there almost more then his bed, Mito normally taking that when she came over which was most nights at this point-. Mito smiled to see them- as she always did- and brushed her fingers over the top one, “Still reading these? I know you have them memorized” he shot her a dirty look for the teasing in her voice and she smiled wider, some of the stress fading off her face as she teased him “I know you think that King Madara Uchiha is _hot_-“ “I don’t think he’s hot!” he said, unable not to rise to the bait as he always was “I just…. He was a good king, and sometimes I just wish that- well. that we had a leader like that I guess, or that he had lived long enough to make things better, maybe then things wouldn’t be the way they are now.” He couldn’t keep the melancholy out of his voice and Mito’s smile slid away.

“Still asking the impossible?” she asked quietly and Tobirama threw himself down on the couch next to her “No. I mean… not quite, I know I can do it, but Mito… if I create a gate like that I’ll be the only person that can power it, it’s to complex to teach anyone else especially when it will have to be based off of my chakra coils, if you wanted to do it you would have do start all over, if it even worked” Mito’s face pinched, she was smart, very smart, but she wasn’t Tobirama, if he said no one else could do it she believed him “and that means that I would have to stand there and hold open a gate for the General to poor troops though, I would be _directly_ responsible for thousands of deaths. As it is we’re as much in a dead lock with Sunna as we always have been but a gate… it would change everything.” His voice was tired and conflicted, and Mito didn’t know what to say. Tobirama had always had… trouble with knowing when things were morally ok, he existed in a gray area that made it difficult sometimes for him to know how to act- it was part of what had led to the General having so much power over him to begin with- and he _craved_ having someone who could just _tell_ him what the right thing to do was, just tell him where the boundaries were. As much as she teased him she was fairly sure that as half his love of King Madara; he was no historian but he always had been drawn to the tales about the Fireborn-King, the king that _cared_ and did what was right but not in the name of some ideal that Tobirama couldn’t understand or fight for, but because he cared about his people and wanted those he loved safe, like Tobirama did, just with the sense of morals he felt he lacked.

“If you don’t give him what he wants…” she said softly, he snorted, dropping his head back to look at the celling, “I know, but honestly Mito, I’d rather go back in that fucking cell then stare at his dumbass equations for the next year and try to tell him that alchemy or jutsu or whatever the hell he wants to call it doesn’t work the way he wants it too and that I can’t just wave may hand and make it work.” She bumped his shoulder with hers “That’s what you get for getting a reputation as the most powerful seal-array alchemist oh, White Dragon of the west.” He groaned deeply “I hate that name,” he whined before cracking an eye at her “not like you’re much better Many-tailed Fox, the only thing is that you never got yourself locked in prison” she sniffed, sticking her nose in the air haughtily “Never got thrown in prison _yet_, give me time Dragon.” He laughed, deep and only a little bitter so Mito counted it a success. In truth both of them knew that what awaited if (when) they refused to give the General what he wanted was much worse than a little time locked away even in the high max vault they had placed Tobirama in (she had seen it once, a large seal covered cadge with only one solid wall and a celling made of bars, it was barren and cold and utterly exposed she knew from the pictures she had seen that he had used his sheets to hang from the ceiling, knew he had maintained flexibility and strength through aerial routines, knew he had done it in part because it freaked people out, knew that he had nightmares of it, knew that things worse than that awaited them <strike>if</strike> when they didn’t bend).

She reach over plucking one of the books off the pile and peered at the cover before snickering, “You’re reading this one? Really?! oh my god Tobi” he twisted, saw what was in her hand and groaned deeply covering his face and not doing anything to stop her “oh my god _The Story of the Fireborn-King and his great Love_ and the blurb, holy shit ‘_the story of the Fireborn-King- also called Susanoo- and his dragon guard is the most famous love story in history, the tale of the proud passionate King who fell so deeply in love with his most fearsome guard that he would have forsaken all others! And the guard’s love for his king was so great he defeated whole armies for his king! It is a story of two true lovers torn asunder by death and mystery! No one knows what happened to the dragon guard when he disappeared, but all rumors of unfaithfulness were struck down- it is said that there was never anything clearer than their immortal love for each other- and in the end King Madara took his own life rather than live without his great love! Leaving the throne to his sworn blood brother Hashirama instead, unable to carry the weight of the kingdom without his lover!_ Tobi- _Tobi_-“ she wheezed, laughing to hard to speak as she waved the book; Tobirama buried his head in a pillow, refusing to look at her as she laughed “_Fuck off_.” He hissed.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she said (“_no you’re not_” he muttered sullenly) “but you have to admit it’s a terrible book.” He groaned again but peaked out at her from behind his pillow with a sigh, pouting at her for a minuet before lowering it “Yeah, fine, it’s _awful_, so, so, bad. I _was_ hoping to find something new, but all the author writes about it how ‘The king _Susanoo’_s hair blew in the wind like a banner of coal and his faithful servant watched it with tears in his eyes!’ it’s _bad_. To bad to even be funny after a while. Which is annoying because everyone knows the story about how the King fell in love and then killed himself when his lover disappeared, so I had hoped for something interesting, but it’s just a pile of drivel.” She snickered at his pout “Oh honey, I could have told you that, look at this shit!” she opened her mouth to read more of it, so he did the adult thing and stuck his tongue out at her.

(_“what were you worried about earlier? Why the code to go home?” sigh “I…. the Captain is asking questions again, I know you hate spreading rumors but if I go home with you, well, there are a lot of people that will hesitate to do anything if they think it will piss you off. As for the other… they asked me to start binding the minds of soldiers” “cannon fodder” “unthinking, every kind of freedom torn from them”_)


	31. I will find you in the Rue (II)

Morning came too early as it always did, rising sun slanting straight into Tobirama’s eyes and making him whine in pain at the always sensitive hurt, Mito- slumped heavily- against his side stirred a little “Tobi?” he sighed and patted her red hair, “Time to get up Hime” he muttered, “I don’t know about you but I want something to eat before we are expected at the labs” she grumbled and burrowed deeper into his arm before withdrawing with a sigh and shoving her hair back. Tobirama snorted as he went to start coffee before getting in the shower; by the time he came out, redressed in the boring utilitarian clothing he wore to the labs, Mito was poking around in his kitchen clutching a cup of coffee like it was gold dust; he shook his head and shoved he towards the shower- she had long since started keeping clothing here- and turned to the task of making food with the spare basics in his kitchen, really it was a good thing he knew how to cook or they would have gone hungry a lot. The trip to the labs was silent not only from exhaustion but from the mounting tension in both of them, there was a looming feeling that this was going to be the day it all fell apart and Tobirama had long since learned to trust his gut with things like this, had he done so years ago he might never have ended up locked in prison for five years by his former apprentice (he should have known better than to train Danzo, the man had only been a couple of years younger but had not had Tobirama’s brilliance and he had thought – had thought that Danzo wanted to know just to know, thought that Danzo cared about him. learning otherwise had _hurt_.).

“Do you think they’ll notice if I spend the day in your lab?” Mito asked him softly as the entered to building, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, “As long as you bring some of your work I don’t see why they should, it’s not like you need anything that special.” She nodded and smiled brightly, darting off to her area. Tobirama sighed, all humor draining from him as he faced his work, the seal-array had been left untouched as always but it’s incompletion taunted him; his curiosity and inability to leave a project unfinished had hurt things before- himself and others- but this was the worst thing he had ever been called upon to do and he was… trying not to let the lure of knowledge pull him off course (for so long knowledge had been his shield and his sword, the only protection he had when times were hard and his only solace when loneliness ate at him. but he had Mito now, he wasn’t alone <strike>for now</strike> <strike>she would be taken away for him, his heart sister, when they failed to do what the General wanted</strike>). It was an hour later when he heard Mito slip into the room on quiet feet, going to one of his tables to set up her own work and they worked companionably for hours before he heard booted feet in the corridor and forced his spine not to stiffen even as the door opened; he stayed there, focused on the array and refusing to acknowledge the increasingly shifty guards and the man with them (he took a deep satisfaction from knowing that they feared him, Mito had called him White Dragon but he had been called White Demon just as often and these men _feared_ him; they knew how many he had killed when they went to bring him in).

“Senju.” The man in the suit barked officiously “Come over here.” Tobirama looked up lazily, standing the graceful slide of movement that he knew always frightened people and watching the short plain man with cold hard eyes; “Danzo, how… nice of you to visit me.” the man reddened at the slight in Tobirama’s voice as the albino had known he would, spluttering as Tobirama stepped off the array and over to the sink to was his hands. “You-!” to the Senju’s mild disappointment the younger man caught himself and forced his voice to calm, Tobirama had rather hoped to provoke him into a rage again, it was always satisfying and left him so embarrassed latter, very much worth the occasional beating he got from it. “The General wants to see your work” he spat officiously- an interesting combination- “how far have you made it to completing the gate?” Tobirama raised a cool eyebrow, unimpressed “I have kept the General appraised of my progress, there should be nothing knew that he needs to know from me in this project. But if you wish to see it go ahead, surely you can decipher it quite well, State Alchemist.” Danzo went red again but took the bait and stepped forward, stocking around the seal with a look of deep concentration that quickly shaded into confusion “This part is nonsense, you don’t need this balancing matrix to use a warp vector symbol!” Tobirama tipped his head to the side inquiringly “And why do you think I don’t?” “I don’t know it!” Tobirama smirked, just a little “Surely you don’t think I taught you _everything _I knew do you? I am a seal master; we never give all our secrets away.”

The naked fury on Danzo’s face was less satisfying than Tobirama expected, maybe he was growing up, had to happen sometime “Prove it!” Danzo snarled nastily, Tobirama couldn’t help his surprise at that “You want me to open an untested array so that you can prove that a symbol combination isn’t necessary?” he asked slowly, glancing at a tense Mito. Danzo smiled “Are you refusing?” he asked nastily and Tobirama frowned a little “No, but I _know_ I taught you better than that, surly you see how bad an idea this is?” the guards shifted uncertainly and Danzo’s look got a little mad at the edges (how had he ever thought that this man was a good apprentice? That he cared) and he stomped around the seal-array to one of the guards, moving with unexpected speed to pull out his blacked out gun and point it as Mito as another guard stepped up to hold her still; Tobirama knew Mito was perfectly capable of defending herself, but only if she could mover her hands and surprise had left her vulnerable. “Are you threatening her?” he asked slowly, Danzo’s mean little smile didn’t fade “If you don’t activate that seal I’ll kill her, honestly the General is sick of how slowly her work is progressing, we have enough that we could pass it off to someone else anyway” fool, Mito was the best in her field as he was in his, killing her would be a waste- but the General had never cared about that very much had he?- “you’re on thin ice as well Demon, keep dragging your feet and you’ll find yourself back in a cadge like a rat with nowhere to hide - unless you enjoyed that freak?” Tobirama forced himself not to stiffen, he had to remain calm, but… his eyes tracked to Mito, her lips pressed together firmly as she looked at him.

“Very well” he murmured softly, turning to the seal and walking to the activation circle, kneeling there and pouring chakra into it like a waterfalls rush, standing slowly as the power rushed out of him; the seal shone as though filled with diamond dust, it’s power making the stone floor warp and flex. He looked up through the haze of power (Danzo was backing away, a look of deep trepidation on his face- good, forcing Tobirama to do this was insane, probably the blowback would kill all of them and take most of the building with it if Tobirama lost control) at Mito, meeting her eyes over it in apology- he couldn’t go back, and he knew she wouldn’t want to- but, she smiled a little and twisted suddenly, lunging into the array hands already twisting in signs and her soul chains spilling out to form a seal shape over her head before one snapped out and wrapped around Tobirama dragging him to the center with her. “_Mito_” he gasped, and she grinned, wild and raw “Fuck all of them, if we’re taking this building down I want to know where this sucker is going to spit us out.” He stared at her as power built before laughing a wild and letting his own power twist and writhe around them, he had an idea, a mad, _mad_, idea. but what did they have to lose? Why _not_ try time travel?

(_“hey, maybe well find your sweetheart Tobi, who knows where we’ll come out” “Fuck off Mito” “focus on him! think of your temporally displaced Great Love!” “FUCK OFF Mito”_)


	32. Flowers from my lips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by art link at bottom, I don't know who did it but I love it (also don't know how to add images if I even can, don't judge me...)

Tobirama dies with a black chakra rod through his chest and flowers spilling over his lips. Dark hair brushes against his cheek and unsteady breathing rasps in his ear; he wants to laugh a little as he brings a shaking hand up, tangling it in long locks "You needn't have struck me down" he murmurs "waiting would have worked just as well." (he dreams he feels lip on his neck, words whispered against his pulse, praise and condemnation both)

Madara wants to weep when he sees red flowers on white skin, he cradles that hated (dear) frame close even as light fades in red eyes (what more is there to live for now?) and he feels flowers bloom in his lungs (always knew before, but long ignored), hyacinth tasting bitter on his tongue (less bitter than words he never said, anger held close) as he feels death drawing close. a bitter yell in the air, a sword in his back, and he curls close - breathing onto pale lips "Would that I had lived another life with you" he gasps, pressing close to a body (most treasured - he shuold have been) gone cold "we might have been happy then."

[Tumblr](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://66.media.tumblr.com/e0c73e15b0b83a3490ec3093adf38a82/tumblr_o790koQpH51rny3ico5_1280.jpg&imgrefurl=https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/soltreis&h=1827&w=1280&tbnid=BBEQRvMYJMzCgM&tbnh=268&tbnw=188&usg=AI4_-kQi1wG7M4ja9mU6Efdnf3gJ4d4kOQ&vet=1&docid=Pp3gQJQZvz30-M)

<https://www.tumblr.com/search/soltreis+>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to post this because I have no idea how the image rights work or anything like that and I don't want to step on any toes (so if anyone does know what the norm is or something let me know? I am not familiar with this part of fandom...) and tumblr confuses me but it's been chewing at me for months so.... If it's not cool I'll take it down no problem


	33. and I shall take you away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Madara has ever wanted was someone to dote on (truly, it was his Horde) but he has always been... strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Sharked and kitsunesongs after a comment thread they gave me. Admittedly it went... sideways as I played with it. but I might write something closer the the plot bunny at some point
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/comments/244659613

Madara didn’t have the _shinniestgoldenglory _horde, his was _darkwarmwhathelovedheldclose _made of people he loved and the _giftstreasurestrove_ he collected for them (_notgivenNevergivenNeverwanted)._

Madara’s scales weren’t the _shinnyglimmeringglowing_ obsidian spill of his brother, his were _darkcoaldustmattplain_ and only a few glimmers of the red in his eyes _twistingflashingglassy_ through his scales to alleviate the dull color (_plainunwantedNeverneededNeveraskedfor_).

Madara knew he was…. strange, temper _hotflaringfastfirce_ but banking over quickly (dragons hold grudges, dragons **should** hold grudges), wanting _companionshiploverconversation_ more than most other dragons – Uchiha dragons didn’t want others in their _spacehordcavehome_ and there was very little Madara wanted more (_needylonelyNevercloseNeverenough)._

And then Madara saw him, the most _stunninglovelyeyecatching _person he had ever seen, as lovely what and flashing red and glimmering blue and **wow**. Madara had never seen an Eastern dragon up close but this one… and he was _smartcleverbrilliant _and Madara **really **wanted to talk to him and maybe bring him that string of pearls he _foundretrivedborrowed,_ because it would look **amazing** on his antlers (_MadaraforgotstrangeNeverenoughIntheresonantvoiceandInterestedheadtilt)_


	34. What we remember with the spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was objectively a smart plan, the enemy shinobi came with enough allies that he actually managed to get close enough to slap the seal on Tobirama, but he forgot to take into account the after; and he didn’t have enough shinobi for that, not nearly enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My computer is finally fixed! for good this time I hope....
> 
> This is off a comment thread from sharked and kitsunesongs https://archiveofourown.org/comments/245706130
> 
> Probably do more, at least a chapter from Hashirama's point of view.

It was objectively a smart plan, the enemy shinobi came with enough allies that he actually managed to get close enough to slap the seal on Tobirama, but he forgot to take into account the _after_; and he didn’t have enough shinobi for that, not _nearly _enough.

Madara raced into the clearing followed closely by Hashirama and Touka just in time to see the seal flash as it activated on the narrow back; a second later something _shifted_ and Tobirama’s fingers flashed, blood fountained out of the enemies corpses and they crumbled into desiccated husks, Madara _gaped_ – he had never seen Tobirama do _that _before. Power boiled out of him as he flicked his fingers to disperse the blood twisting in a sphere in front of him, “_Tobirama_…” Hashirama breathed, horrified “you promised that you wouldn’t use that” the was a pause (what the fuck? Hashirama didn’t want his brother to do everything he could to protect himself? if Izuna..) and the Tobirama turned to them; there was something different, something, something strange shifted and removed (and Madara had always thought that the younger Senju was distant but, wow, now it was really clear how much affection he had for the people around him when it was gone) as he raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

“I used to most efficient method available, it’s not like I used it on an ally – I never promised not to use in on bloodline thieves. Which they were, I recognize the chakra, my guess is that they wanted to control me into taking children from the village to them – or to assassinate you, two hard to say.” He peered at his arm with an interested expression on his face “Interesting, I’ve never seen a seal like this. I’m going to ask Mito about it.” and then he was gone in a flash of shattering light, leaving Madara and Hashirama to stare after him, baffled.

* * *

Mito frowned at them, a tense look on her face, “It not hurting him, I mean… it- as far as I can tell all his memories are complete, if somewhat fuzzy in places; he hasn’t forgotten anything and it hasn’t changed who he is- he can still care for people- but it just erased the emotion behind the memories.” Hashirama stared at her uncomprehendingly, she sighed aggravatedly and Madara broke in “He remembers everything he just doesn’t care anymore.” She nodded and sighed again, looking tired “He still can care, it hasn’t messed with his capacity to care, and he knows he used to care but he just…. doesn’t anymore.” Hashirama swallowed hard “So is he a loose canon if he doesn’t care? He killed those men in a way he promised me he would never kill people anymore” Madara shot him a disgusted look “No, didn’t you listen to what she said? He sill has morals and cares, just not about _you_ _idiot_. And why _the fuck_ did you ever tell him he wasn’t allowed to defend himself in _any_ way necessary?” Hashirama gapped at him and Madara shook his head “Never mind. Mito, any idea how to get the seal off him? I can’t imagine he wants to keep it.” Mito shot him a thoughtful look “You do know him well” Madara started “yes he wants to take it off, I’ll need some time to sort it out though. Until then we have Give-no-Fucks!Tobirama.” Madara smirked a little at the idea of that and nodded to Mito, slipping out the window. 

He hesitated when his feet hit the path, he _should_ go home, he probably should be tired, but…. he swallowed, glancing towards the hospital; it would be ok to stop and see Izuna, it would be fine, he would just stop for a minute and then go home (he wasn’t going to go home).

* * *

The next few days were odd; it turned out that Mito’s description of Tobirama under the seal was unnervingly accurate, he _just_ _didn’t give a fuck_, Hashirama whined and wailed and all his younger brother did was regard him with slightly baffled distaste, eventually he just started walking out when Hashirama got going (Madara loved it, he had hated to see the way the older Senju took advantage of the albino, so seeing a Tobirama that just didn’t put up with it? glorious) and ignoring him when his brother pestered him to much (he hoped Hashirama was learning, but he wasn’t betting on it). It also made it _very_ clear how much Tobirama had been doing for the village now that he had little interest in pushing himself to exhaustion over it, oh he still did all his work to _exacting_ standards but it was very clear how much of it he had been pushing himself to do out of love for his brother (Madara worried about what would happen in their relationship when the seal came off) now that he didn’t care (Touka _loved_ it, she had no problem with relearning how to be friends- even if she missed her little cousin a bit she was over the moon to see him stand up to Hashirama).

Honestly it was more than a little galling, if Izuna was just _awake_ (Madara would give almost anything for that) he knew his little brother would be every bit as frustrated as he was; Izuna and Tobirama would probably never get along (if he ever _woke up_) but to the Uchiha- and Madara hadn’t thought the Senju so different, though maybe it was less a Senju thing and more a _Hashirama _thing- family was everything, so the see such clear evidence of Hashirama’s disregard for that which he should hold most dear? It hurt. a lot. And that wasn’t even counting in Madara’s….. regard for Tobirama himself (how was he supposed to hate the younger Senju? After everything, after seeing Tobirama’s fury when he realized someone had poisoned his blade, after seeing the albino trying to force Izuna’s body to reject the poison, after seeing a nonlethal wound where there could have been a lethal one, after watching him _destroy_ the strange **_thing_** that had engineered the poison, after seeing the sympathy in his eyes when he covered for Madara on the days the Uchiha couldn’t bring himself to leave Izuna). Madara looked at his brother’s hand tucked in his own larger ones and huffed a tiredly amused sigh “I think you would find it entertaining, I can just see you sitting with Touka laughing your head off as he ignores Hashi, it _is_ rather brilliant brother. I…. it’s odd though, he’s still nice to me, which doesn’t make much sense given that he pity’s me for you-“

“No I don’t.” Madara jumped at the sudden voice from the window, and twisted to look (not really alarmed though, Tobirama’s voice was hard to mistake he knew it so well now); the pale Senju was perched on the sill watching him with his sharp red eyes and Madara ducked his head, hiding in hair and robe to cover the faint blush, he was so _reactive_ to this man, it was really _frustrating_. “I’ve never in my life been nice because I pitied someone- I don’t know that I’ve ever pitied any one at all really- just as Hashirama.” Said the albino as he slipped off his perch and over to stand next to Madara retching out to do a scan of Izuna as he did so, his charka a cool rush over Madara’s senses. “Then what are you so nice to me?” he asked bewilderedly, Tobirama sent him a glance out of the corner of his eyes before refocusing on Izuna, “Is it so hard to believe that I like you?” Madara scoffed but the Senju just kept talking over him “You’re smart- though you tend to hide it with your temper- and you _care_, far more than any other man I’ve ever met. Also, your chakra is addictive.” Madara gaped a him, forgetting to hide his burning cheeks for once “_What?”_ he rasped and Tobirama sighed and turned to him, reaching out which gentle fingers to brush Madara’s fringe back “You are very admirable, the seal doesn’t erase any of _that_ Madara. It was easy to relearn caring for you. Now come on, Izuna will not be waking up today. I’ll take you home, you need sleep.”


	35. my world at your feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Uchiha knows their True Love by who can brush their hair.

Madara frowned deeply at his mother, batting back a lock of his dark hair with deep frustration; Akari Uchiha raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the gesture (_do you want to tell me that’s not a problem?_) and he frowned even harder all but glowering (_so what? it’s a mess, it doesn’t bother me._) only to wince sharply as he shifted and one of the many knots in his hair caught on the embellishments on the swirling Uchiha throne, his mother snorted (_uh-hu, doesn’t bother you at all. Its all good and fine and I’m sure that doesn’t hurt._). He grimaced, looking down and trying not the fidget, Akari sighed “Madara I’m not trying to tell you how to live but you _need _to find your spouse, this is getting ridiculous. You don’t have to marry them right away, but this is really past time to deal with this.” he whined under his breath and sat back in his chair (he was _not_ sulking) fiddling with his fingers “I don’t want to keep doing this. The last lady that you found made it worse for crying out loud!” he said brandishing a lock of long dark hair that was all but matted; she winced a little looking at it and the tangled mess of his knee length hair.

“Alright, she was a bad fit I know, but Madara this is only going to get worse if you don’t find someone who can tame your hair! You _need_ your true love.” Madara whimpered and buried his face in his hands “_Don’t say it like that!_” he whined; she huffed and folded her arms “Well it’s true isn’t it? You have to find your _true love, _or you’ll never get that mess untangled. _I know_ you don’t like it when I put it like that but that’s what it is; you’re Uchiha, it’s part of life. Oh stop it dear, you’re wearing a crown, bloody well act like it!” he sighed and shoved himself upright ignoring the pinch on his scalp as he moved. His mother wasn’t _wrong_, he probably should try to find his…. fuck, _fine, True Love_\- ugh- harder than he was, i.e. he wasn’t trying at all, and he could see why that worried his mother (and fine, he could probably just cut it off, but no way in _hell_ was he doing that!) but he didn’t want to be paraded in front of every lord and lady and merchant and _person_ that his mother could find and have their fingers in his hair (he was protective of it, sue him) pulling and yanking and all over him- it felt so invasive. He sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands, “I know mother. I just…” his mother deflated as well, leaning forward to rub his arm gently “I know ‘Dara, I’m sorry for pushing it so hard, I know you don’t like it, I just don’t see-“ she was interrupted by a fast knock on the doors of the great hall and they both turned to it in time to see the doors blow open and a tall long haired man with a beaming smile bounce into the room.

“Madara!!!” he sang out as both royals stared at him, w_hat in the world? _Wait_,_ Madara leaned forward “_Hashirama?!_” he said, shocked by the sight of his childhood friend after so many years; well shit, Hashirama had definitely grown up- oh. Fuck. He was definitely taller than Madara now. God damn it. the Magis grinned brightly “Madara!!” he cheered again and the Uchiha slumped back “Fuck. Hashirama.” the smile grew and Hashirama opened his mouth again only to yelp and double over as another man elbowed him hard in the side as he entered to room (wow, oh _shit, **wow**, _that was… _wow_), the slim white haired man turned to the throne and sketched an elegant if slightly old fashioned shallow bow (plenty for a Magis) “Your Majesty, Your Highness, I am Tobirama Senju, this is my brother Hashirama-“ “-Tobira! He already knows me!” the look Tobirama sent his brother for the interruption was _venomous_ “And has it perhaps been several years? Did you meet the Queen Mother at the time? No? than surely you can introduce yourself like you have _some_ manners.” the older brother grumbled a little but bowed as well with good cheer. 

Akari giggled a little behind her hands “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I heard many stories about you Senju-“ “Call me Hashirama!” (Tobirama groaned a little rubbed at the bridge of his nose, Madara watched him move entranced) “Hashirama then, I am very glad to meet you, I’m sorry for the circumstances under which you left lest time.” Both brothers sobered a little as her words and Tobirama nodded a jerkily and Hashirama smiled sadly “Thank you my Lady, it was…. but that’s the past, and it’s wonderful to return to out native land!” if Hashirama’s voice was a little forced no one pointed it out to him. Madara shifted a little “I hope you’ll stay for a while? I’d like to spend some time with you that’s not when we just finished open court.” Hashirama blinked at him mouth open in a surprised ‘O’ “Oh! That’s why they didn’t want to open the door! I had wondered….” Tobirama rolled his eyes (“I did try to tell you brother”) and Madara sighed a little, Hashirama had clearly changed very little; Akari tapped her finger on Madara’s throne where she stood next to him “I know this is a little abrupt but I have a Favor to ask you if you would hear it” Madara sent her a confused glance but Tobirama nodded slowly “my sons hair, I’m sure you can see the problem, I was wondering if you could brush it out? It causes him some discomfort.”

Madara _gapped_ at her, what the _what?!_ They were Magi yes but- “Oh! Still having trouble with that? I don’t think I can help now any better than I could when we were kids, but Tobira might be able to! He is very good with that sort of fine control thing.” Tobirama sighed a little and stepped forward “I am willing to take a look at it if you wish your Majesty?” Madara nodded dumbly, the younger Senju brother’s lips twitched a little- Madara followed it a little more closely than he should have really- and he stepped forward, a light gesture drawing a gleaming comb of ice out of thin air (_shit_, that was very impressive to do with so little work). He stepped closer, slanting a glance at Madara from under white lashes as he lifted the tangled lock of hair (was that pink on those red slashed cheeks? Holy shit, it _was_!) and focused on his task.


	36. I will return to you with the rain (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day the first ZETSU fell from them moon the whole world forgot it's hate. Even the Senju and Uchiha families- long rivals in every way- set aside their differences and turned to facing the new threat to everything they held dear.

It was raining the day Madara left. The water pouring down from the glowing sky as he walked away from the best thing in his life, “You’re leaving then?” Tobirama’s voice behind him was tired and sad and Madara swallowed hard (he had known this would be the hardest part) “Yes”, the sound of quiet feet behind him “Were you planning to tell me?” “I told Touka didn’t I? I knew she would tell you.” Tobirama huffed a laugh a curled a gentle hand around Madara’s arm, turning the older boy to face him; he looked like he should have been drying but there was a faint smile on his lips anyway “If I asked you to stay would you?” he asked and Madara felt something as sharp as any ZETSU’s weapon tear through him “Please don’t ask” he whispered and Tobirama’s smile went bittersweet “I’m not my brother ‘Dara, I won’t ask you for things you can’t give me.” Madara bit his lip and stepped closer, curving his hand around the albino’s jaw, there had always been something and recently- after the last deep drop and going under Tsukuyomi together to sync the Hiraishin and Susanoo, after the hours lived retrograde together- Madara had thought that maybe…. but now he was leaving wasn’t he and how could Madara ask.

Tobirama leaned into his hand “Just ask” he murmured and Madara smiled a little at the other teen’s perceptiveness, “I. I’m not Hashirama either” He said softly leaning forward to press their foreheads together; Tobirama’s breath was shaking as he tangled their fingers together and Madara held on hard enough he could feel his bones ache but- “leaving would be easy if it didn’t mean leaving _you_.” He whispered and Tobirama pressed closer and – and kissed him, warm and gentle and firm and everything Madara had known Tobirama would be (it was perfect and Madara wished he had the sharingan drive to make sure he never forgot any minute of it). All to soon the albino drew back reluctantly “You should go, I, I understand but Hashi…” Tobirama snorted “he might stab you in the back and I won’t have that.” Red eyes were warm as the scanned over Madara and Madara wavered- wondered, _what if he stayed?_\- but Tobirama stepped back, biting harshly at his lip so blood slid over pale skin “I’ll wait for you. You don’t have to ask for that.” He said, voice shaking and Madara felt his whole _world _shift, reached out – but Tobirama was already turning away, to the door off the roof walking to it and calling out as he did “I haven’t seen him Hashi, are you sure you checked the hanger?” and vanished down the stairs (the first time he had ever even thought of lying to his brother Madara knew). (still Madara hesitated for a long moment, he- he felt as though he was being torn in two but “_I’ll wait for you, you don’t have to ask for that_” and he slipped over the edge of the roof to the harbor and the boat waiting for him)

* * *

It was drizzling the day that he returned, just over six years to the day since he left Konoha in search of the Ōtsutsuki equation. This time he had called ahead- well, sort of- and he knew he was expected as he stepped off the transport in the harbor on the heavy metal grating of the walk; Hashirama stood at the doors to the facility, older and taller (taller than Madara damn it) and longer haired (though his hair wasn’t as long so, score? Tobirama had loved Madara’s hair) but if the bouncing and bright joy on the other man’s face was any clue still very much _Hashirama_ (for crying out loud, he was twenty four now and all but the head of the facility when old man Hagoromo was meditating- which he did much of the time as far as Madara knew). “Madara!!” the other man cheered, completely disregarding the Uzumaki princess with him in his excitement at seeing his old friend (and almost throwing both of them off the dock with his exuberance “It’s been to _long_!” the Senju whined and Madara had to smile a little at his old friend “Hashirama, may I introduce you to Princess Mito Uzumaki? Here from the island of her home to get a better feel for the main offensive against the ZETSU.” Hashirama coughed a little and straightened himself and his clothing before turning to Mito, only to stumble and stutter when confronted with the beautiful woman; but Madara was hardly paying any attention, he was looking for another person in the crowd, and with a knowing nod from Mito he slipped away to search for the one person he needed to see more than anyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the next chapter (if there is one, this part just wanted to be written):  
“Madara, the Hiraishin was damaged and Kawarama was up there so Tobirama took the Susanoo up-“ “He’s not attuned to the sharingan drive, he doesn’t have the blood, how-“ I don’t know, he won’t say how he got the machine to start and trust me father wanted to know. But when he came down he had Kawarama’s body and the ZETSU was ash in the water. After that though… he- I don’t really know what happened but he created the Edo Tensei nexus and now he spend most of his time there, he refuses to pilot anymore, and the one-time father forced him it was... bad.”


	37. I will return to you with the rain (II)

The complex was much the same as it had been when Madara left six years ago, only more patchwork and showing clear signs of a worrying large amount of repairs (how often had they taken damage _here_ in the base its self?), it was so obvious how badly they needed the infusion of Uzumaki wealth- and no, Madara hadn’t made the extra effort to bring Mito here as a sort of gift to Tobirama, he _hadn’t_\- and Madara could only hope that Hashirama’s charm and the dogged persistence of the Senju-Uchiha forces would help her decide that they were worth it (the fact that the Konoha forces had the lion’s share of the ZETSU kill count in the entirety of Fire country- of all the the five countries- _and_ sat right on the edge of the moon gate somehow didn’t mean that they should get more funding than other bases, or even as much as some other bases). Madara hesitated at the door of the command room, looking into room that had changed _everything_ for him (_“Madara! Get your ass in the Susanoo! You’re on point with the Hiraishin, both of you get moving” running, glancing at red eyes with a wild grin- living on the edge of life and the rush of battle and the bitter taste of blood “Tobirama-“ “Hello Madara” “… are you ok?” a pause “I – I will be I think” “It wasn’t your fault” “I was supposed to be watching his back Madara!” “And sometimes shit happens!!” stepping up behind a thin from and **wanting**_ _to wrap his arms around the pale figure_), the room that had shaped everything that had happened since (_he spoke before the shadow at the door could “The Naka tablet doesn’t have anything about it.” movement and warmth at his shoulder “You finished decoding it then?” “Yes” ”Not anything?” he shrugged listlessly “Enough to know it would help” he hesitated, and a hand landed on his shoulder “my father…” “You have always missed Izuna” “I know, but-“ and then sirens blaring and their conversation was lost in the rush of battle and the Tsukuyomi drop he never forgot_) as if on cue sirens exploded filing the metal corridor with bouncing sounds and light; fuck, Madara had forgotten how disorienting that was.

On autopilot Madara darted forward, booting up the complicated command console and swearing when the lights flickered and glitched slowly off and on; he hesitated a little when he came up on a new machine at the front and center right in front of the screens, it looked like a strange reclining chair enclosed in a glass coffin and covered in wires and tubes like some strange flayed nervous system. Ok, he had no idea what to do with that, best to just leave it alone. Just as Madara got the last console running Hashirama burst into the room in a flurry of hair and robes, a pale faced Mito behind him and other personal darting into the room behind him- Madara recognized a few of them, but not all-; Hashirama looked at the glowing screens and his shoulders dropped a little in relief “Thank you Madara” he nodded and walked to his old friends side “Is there anything I can-“ but his words were cut off by a flurry of movement at the door as, as _Tobirama_ came in, straight backed and tall and _strange_.

Tobirama strode across the room with focused steps ignoring the subtle way people stepped back from him as he did- he looked odd, too cold and stern and _tired_\- all but the young teen with the Uchiha look behind him. “Tobira-“ “Not now brother” Tobirama said coolly; reaching to his collar and pulling off his loose kimono robe as he stopped at the coffin, said “Edo Tensei” and the strange _thing_ opened with a creaking whoosh and a hiss, he dropped the robe into the teen’s arms and (shit, he, wow, he looked, _wow_, that suit showed off a lot of skin) the suit underneath it left his arms and sides (even the sides of his legs, he must have gotten more tattoos, _focus_) bare as he stepped into the coffin. Madara hesitated and then stepped forward as Hashirama was yelling for pilots that Madara only knew as children and Tobirama sat down in the strange reclining chair; Madara knew the second that the albino saw him when coolly red eyes went wide and flooded with emotion, Madara smiled and thumped his fist to his chest- he might not know what was going on with that machine but he knew danger when he saw it and their old good luck symbol was all there was time for- and Tobirama’s face softened. His eyes remained fastened on Madara’s face even as he lay back and the coffin shut, even as the wires writhed and twisted around him he watched Madara, he watched Madara with slightly desperate eyes right up until the _thing _hissed and his back arched in pain and his eyes slid closed and Madara felt strangely as though he was loosing Tobirama in a way he hadn’t on that rooftop six years ago.


	38. iron flowers for your hair

Madara blew out a measured breath, ignoring the deep ache of his body and running his fingers gently through stark white hair, almost glowing in his lap as Tobirama’s breathed out on a thin whine; he _hated_ this, if anyone had told him that he would be sitting in a prison in lightning country cuddling Tobirama Senju he would have laughed in their face (and then thrown then in the koi pond- Izuna was the only person that might have said something like that really) but now that it was happening there was nothing funny about it. Tobirama shifted, a painful shiver skating down his skin as he choked back a pained, thready scream; Madara leaned over, ignoring his own swimming head as he tried to hush the Senju “Easy Senju, easy. Breath, try to match my breathing. Come on, you can do it Tobira, hush now” he murmured, relaxing gratefully when the albino’s breathing eased as he matched Madara. The Uchiha ran his fingers down one pale arm he could only sort of see in the dim light (bless Uchiha eyes even when the sharingan wasn’t active), brushing his fingers against the heavy metal cuff around the thin wrist; he shivered when he brushed the metal (almost two inches thick for fucks sake) and the sharp radiating cold cut through him, fucking things were so cold that the blood from where they had destroyed Tobirama’s wrists (he was going to have scars) was frozen into red ice over the metal, at this point Madara was just hopping to get them off of him soon enough to not leave the younger man incapable of using his hands at all.

He shifted his fingers, glad that he had been left with his gloves as he slipped two fingers underneath the shackle sending out a tiny pulse of chakra as he did so; Tobirama turned into him with a sob of relief at the feeling. Madara grit his teeth sharply, trying not to grind them as he beat back his anger at the _fucking_ lightning shinobi that had snatched them; they had caught him only by turning an old clan contact and sacrificing a ridiculous amount of their fellows to his blade before they brought him down, after that none of them had really wanted to come close to him and risk death (smart), instead they had thrown him in the cell covered in chakra seals and smoked him with some sort of drug every few hours to keep him from thinking clearly enough to plan a way out. Tobirama hadn’t been so lucky, he had been brought (thrown) in a day or two after Madara and had all ready been in bad shape at the time; Madara couldn’t tell how bad it was but he knew his pants were completely soaked through with blood and that Tobirama hadn’t surfaced from his pain at all in the last two days (it worried Madara that the other hadn’t, as far as he knew Tobirama was _always_ thinking- that’s what Izuna said anyway- so to see this blank, pain ridden man was _worrying_).

The albino shivered and Madara pulsed his chakra again, shifting his fingers and trying to figure out how long he could leave them there without the frostbite ruining them, a little longer before he had to take a break and warm them up; Madara _hated_ that, hated that he ever had to remove his fingers because every damn time he did Tobirama got _worse_, every time the cuffs cut off Tobirama’s senses completely again (every time he couldn’t feel Madara) he could feel the albino slipping away from him. Madara would probably survive this- all he needed was a minute, just one slip up and he could blow his way out of here; hell just leaving him alone like this wasn’t a good idea, it gave him time to think and _plan_ and that was all he really needed. He would get out of here. He would, Tobirama…. he was afraid he wouldn’t have a chance to get the Senju out of here before he lost the sensor to the pain and chakra deprivation and that would, that would _hurt_ after the last four days (god, he had been here for _six days_, Izuna must be losing his shit, the whole clan would be- what with the clan head missing). He had grown close to the albino in the time they had been there, hard not to when the normally stern young man (he was only nineteen for fucks sake) was so cuddly and those first few days before he slipped away he had muttered to Madara about everything that crossed his mind (which was frankly _hilarious_, he had never expected to be treated to a long ramble about the question of why his hair was so fluffy, or about Izuna’s tendency to tantrums, or about the working of a new jutsu he was planning to use to make a blade of lightning).

He didn’t want to be fond of Tobirama, had kept his distance at first- this was the man that had the best chance to kill Madara’s brother- until he realized how badly off Tobirama was and just couldn’t leave the albino to suffer on his own (and Hashirama would never forgive him), he just couldn’t. Madara sighed and winced as he switched fingers for some that weren’t so cold, grimacing as the tight noise that Tobirama made in the seconds with out chakra; fuck, how good a sensor _was_ Tobirama? If cutting of his chakra affected him this badly he must be far, _far_ better than the Uchiha intelligence indicated, and wasn’t that frightening; what were the chances he didn’t know everyone that came and went from the Uchiha compound and everyone they met with? And if he did why wasn’t his clan a _lot_ worse off then they were? After all with that kind of information there was a terrifying amount of things that they could do to disable the clan. Either Tobirama hated the Uchiha a lot less than Madara and Izuna thought or else Hashirama had his brother on a much tighter leash than Madara thought, which just didn’t seem likely given what he knew and had seen of the Senju brothers.

Madara’s head snapped up, there was a sound in the hallway; he grinned wolfishly, they hadn’t smoked him today (he might be able to get both of them out of here after all).


	39. light though bright wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madara knows he's fucked when he hits the ground and can't get up

Madara came to with a toe poking him in the side (avoiding his broken ribs, huh, that was thoughtful), he groaned deeply (fuck this hurt) and the light over him changed (they were blocking the sun from his face now too, weird) until someone spoke “Are you going to wake up Uchiha-sama?” (huh, not one of his clan then) he groaned again, honestly not able to gather the energy to respond better than that. A sigh over him and the sound of cloth and metal moving, a hand on his forehead (he should probably be worried about eye stealers shouldn’t he?) and cool chakra sliding through him in an almost orgasmic rush; “Well, you’re rather badly off aren’t you.” Another sigh “I suppose I’ll have to patch you up; brother will never forgive me if I don’t will he.” Madara whimpered as the hand vanished, it was so lovely and cool and wonderful and please come back! “Good lord, hold still, I’m not carrying you with your armor on, or mine for that matter. Give me a moment” to words didn’t penetrate the painful haze over his mind or the twisting ache in his body spiking as hands moved over him “Shhh, hush now, just a moment, shhh, easy Uchiha, damn it, why are you in so much pain anyway? Shhh, easy bright hawk, almost done now. Ahh, there that’s the last of it, give me a moment to store it and I’ll take a look at you.”

Madara clung to the soft words, the way the voice got gentler as it went, and hands smoothed down what little skin was unmarred in a comforting caress. And then the chakra was back overwhelming his mind with the cool rise of power over his skin and drowning out the soft words he could still hear dimly- talking about his wounds?- and letting his mind float on the sudden change of sensation; going from searing pain to the cool floating was overwhelming almost to the point of a new kind of pain. Time twisted out of his grasp, flickering in fort of him like a sliver-red fish – except, maybe that was something else, were his eyes open? He blinked and he saw a flash of red and white and then a hand pressed over his eyes coaxing then shut “None of that bright hawk, I don’t know what they did to your eyes but that can’t comfortable, I need to take care of your chest first though. Fuck this sucks, why are you so cute when you can’t yell?” there was a change in the chakra and then sweet relief swept over him and his mind was swept away, the pain still an echoing sound outside the sudden protection around his mind, he knew distantly that it would hurt later- knew that it did still hurt- but be could hardly care with the presence wrapped around him.

“There, that’ll do for now, let’s get you somewhere less exposed, I’d rather not patch you up and then loose you when someone else comes along and distracts me. fuck you’re heavy, why do you have to have so much muscle? Yes, I know, that silly weapon of yours- I have it too, don’t move Uchiha, you’ll hurt yourself- but still. On the other hand it does mean your ass is _fantastic_. I’m so glad you’re not going to remember this” there was a pause and Madara whined, fright slipping past the protective mind wrapped around him- what if they were gone? What if he was alone? Madara hated to be alone and was so often- “shit, easy bright hawk, I’m right here, not leaving you alone, you’re alright – or well, you will be, but I’ll be right here until you feel better.”


	40. so the crane catches the hawk (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying my hand at a marriage hunt

“Don’t you think this is kind of a rough way to do this?” Touka asked as she watched her little cousin move around his room, Tobirama paused and sent her an annoyed look “Have any of the other ways I’ve tried worked?” he asked he pointedly as he ran damp fingers back through his hair. Touka grimaced, no, no they hadn’t, and honestly she- and everyone else- was getting a little annoyed with it really “No” she sighed “not sure how he can have missed it, bloody idiot, everyone _else_ knows what you’re trying to do.” Tobirama raised an eyebrow at her even as he rubbed his skin with lightly scented oil “Not exactly trying to hide it” he pointed out and she shrugged, pushing off the window to come fuss with his hair “Damn good thing too, if you were you’d have to go right back to shinobi school for abject failure.”

She stepped back and sighed again, he looked good in a white kimono shirt that only barely covered his hip and was belted on haphazardly over his mission black pants- without wraps because he was smart- which hung loose and low on his hips; add that to the hair pushed away from his face and the faint eyeliner she had applied he looked both like he had just rolled out of bed and grabbed whatever was closest and also like he was ready for a good fuck (he probably was, her little cousin was always thinking ahead – oh, great now she was think about how often Tobi had ‘thought ahead’ about tonight, yay mental image…), yup, if your taste ran that way he looked more than a little alluring. Thank god, if she had to watch him flirt or listen to him plan out what to try next to get the man’s attention like one of his experiments- only one that made him _sad_\- she was going to kill something, kill it _dead_. Ok fine, what she would really do would be to go find that fucking Uchiha and bring him back for Tobirama as a gift, clan head or no; why Tobirama was so stuck on the man she had no idea.

* * *

Izuna chewed hard on his lip, watching his brother move around the room gathering his armor and a bag that Izuna didn’t want to know the contents of (ew, no) “He’s really pretty, I mean, if you like that sort of thing” the Younger Uchiha offered, Madara ignored him and Izuna gathered himself (he _didn’t want_ to be telling his brother what a good husband Tobirama would be, _he didn’t_) “He’s wicked smart, you’ll enjoy having someone to talk to brother; he’ll keep up with you. And you _know_ he’s strong so he can have your back and I already pointed out he’s nice looking and-“ “_Izuna!_ stop. Ok? Just, stop. I _know _he’s attractive, I’m not blind and I know he’s smart- fuck everybody knows he’s smart- and I know he’s strong, he keeps up with you after all. That’s not the problem ok? He’s clearly good spouse material.” Izuna frowned at his brother’s back where Madara was staring at his bag “I don’t understand, from what we know the Senju and their sister clans hold Marriage Hunts sacred, that they would never go against a bond made under the eyes of the gods, so what’s the problem? You hunt the Ghost and you get a good husband and your peace with the knowledge that they would never go against it, what’s wrong with that? This is the reason I brought it to you after all.” He shifted, a dark thought growing in his mind “Did- did you have someone else brother? Do you not like him?”

Madara shook his head “There’s no one else and you know it brat. He’s… he’s not the problem either.” Izuna drew in breath and Madara spun to look at him, a dark look in his eyes “_No_, shut up. I am not going to be happy about running another shinobi- a man I _respect_\- into the ground and fucking him like an animal for the sake of peace. Even if I have to do it I’m not going to be happy about it. so shut the fuck up.” He snarled, stomping from the room. Izuna stared after him did he really think-?! Oh. um. huh. That made Tobirama’s expression- as close to sulky as Izuna had ever seen- in the last battle make so much more sense. Madara really _hadn’t_ been reacting to – oh _shit_. Izuna launched himself up from the bed, racing down the stairs and only just catching his brother at the door “Ok” he said in a rush “I thought you were- I don’t know- playing hard to get, or didn’t want to do anything until there was peace or I don’t know, but Madara if you can’t – if all you can think of doing is, um, lying back and thinking of the clan or something then you shouldn’t do this. In fact if that’s what’s going on you’re not going to do this not if-“ Madara was looking at him funny when he slammed a hand over Izuna’s mouth “Oh shut up, it’s not the who, it’s the how. Tobirama isn’t the problem.” He muttered, looking embarrassed.

Well, that was something, he had been worried for a minute there that he had misread this whole thing; it was _way_ clear what Tobirama thought and Hashirama had put up with it with less wailing than normal so as long as Madara wasn’t against it, it would be fine. Izuna was good at this, it was a good idea and Madara would be happy with the Ghost once he had a chance (and ok, Touka Senju was _blisteringly_ hot and he would like a chance to see her throw him again please and thank you and that seemed much more likely in peace. Also, Madara needed to get _laid_. Izuna could put up with the Ghost for that). Madara ruffled his hair and slipped past him and just before his brother broke out in a run “_Go get yourself a man!!_” he whisper yelled after his brother, turning inside with a happy hum and his brother’s shrieking in the air.

* * *

Madara had no idea what Izuna thought was going on but he was pretty sure that his younger brother hadn’t figured out what Madara was planning, which was- in his defense- more or less what Izuna thought he was going to do; he _was_ going to do a Marriage hunt for Tobirama Senju, it’s just that he had put a lot of thought into it that his brother probably didn’t realize or he wouldn’t have tried so hard to convince Madara that Tobirama was a good matched (which was sweet of Izuna really, Madara knew he didn’t like the Senju much). He took a deep breath as he landed on a branch near the Senju compound, it was almost time; he was ready he reminded himself, he was Ready, he even knew what he was going to say to convince the other man to go along with it (no fucking way was he going to _rape_ Tobirama, so the Speech was _important_); all he had to do was call the hunt and then catch his prey (which was going to be hard enough really) and then hold him still long enough for him to _explain_ that he was doing it for a reason and it was a chance at peace and Madara would be a good husband, really he would! He would be the best husband and do whatever Tobirama asked and maybe the Senju would pet his hair and tell him he was good and-!! The Uchiha shook himself, it _would_ work. But first, the hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this sort of came from this, which is from sharked (and amazing):
> 
> Madara decides he's going to nab himself a husband. He's geared up for it. He is pumped. He is capital-R Ready for the task of hunting Senju 'White Demon' Tobirama down and convincing him that Madara's doing this for good, genuine, horny reasons, and will Tobirama please not castrate him pretty pretty please. He already has the speech written out. He is Ready.
> 
> Except once Tobirama figures out that Madara's doing a bridal hunt and isn't chasing him down for murder purposes, he's all for it. He lets himself be caught. Madara's desperately trying to remember how his speech went, but keeps stuttering because there's a pretty Senju all but displaying himself on the ground where he's been pinned, giving Madara the most devastating bedroom eyes he's ever seen.


	41. so the crane catches the hawk (II)

Madara took a deep breath and blew it out on a slow count before flaring his chakra hot and high into the night, a blazing beacon that no sensor could possibly miss- and ok fine, it was probably going to be noticed by other people too but witnesses were good right? right. He didn’t have to wait long after dropping down into a road well-lit by the brilliant full moon and sharingan eyes; which was why when there was a faint blur of white at the gates that resolved into Tobirama Madara got an eye full of the most alluring thing he had ever, _ever_ seen in the form of a Senju albino that looked as though he had just rolled out of bed (_yum, holy shit **yum**_). Tobirama’s eyes were large and dark and _pretty_ and a little sleepy looking and his skin _glowed_ as an almost perfect match to the color of the moon; Madara swallowed _hard_, oh, oh _wow_, Madara was in so far over his head it wasn’t even funny and it only got _worse_ when the Senju straighten up slowly when Madara didn’t move “Uchiha?” he asked in a slightly rough, tired sounding voice. _Guh_, he was- Madara could- that slice of pale chest and sweeping lines of red spreading over his shoulders- Madara’s eyes dropped down following the gaping neck of the kimono shirt to where it was open basically to his navel and the Uchiha could see the start of more moonlight hair over low sitting black pants, _oh_ _guh hng_, Madara was _not_ Ready for this.

“Uchiha?” Tobirama asked again just as more people emerged from the gates (Madara didn’t see the exchanged glances and eye rolls, it was a little unnerving to have the Lord of Fire at their gates but it was also fairly clear that Tobirama-sama was involved and _everyone_ knew how long he had been trying to catch the man) but it was Hashirama’s cat-yowl sound that jarred the Uchiha out of his fascinated staring (Madara _refused_ to admit that he whimpered a little, no one was close enough to hear and argue with him anyway) “_Madara!!!!_” Hashirama wailed (he knew better than to argue with the look his little brother shot him, whatever was going on Tobirama had definitely engineered it, wait, was his Tobi wearing _eyeliner?!_) and the Uchiha jumped, clearing his throat uncomfortably. He had to do something, do it now before people started throwing thing, um, his eyes slid over the pale shape (how was _anyone_ paying any attention to him with standing next to the _snow god_ in their midst?!), so pretty…. Right! ok. Focus Madara, focus, he had to be Ready and say the words and then catch the _lovely_, and then he had to give his Speech, things to do, focus “Hashirama” Madara said, (Tobirama stiffened, was this not working? Why was Madara talking to Hashirama? Had Tobirama miscalculated? Madara wasn’t interested was he. oh. ow.) cleared his throat and gathered himself as best he could, refusing to let himself look at the _stunning_ younger Senju brother- focus on Hashi, focus on Hashi, don’t look over or you’ll swallow your tongue- “I have come on the night of the full moon when the moon is at its fullest” according to their info there wasn’t one set of specific words but there was symbolism behind when you started a hunt “to initiate a Hunt in the oldest of your traditions” Madara was proud of how strong and even his voice was.

Hashirama licked his lips “How did you learn about a Moon Hunt?” the Senju asked slowly (wait, Hashirama sent a sideways look at his brother, ok that was a dumb question, still this was quite the trick to resort too) before shaking his head “You know what it means to start a Moon Hunt? That what you catch is yours forever but if you don’t catch it you can never try again?” (not that Tobirama was going to let that happen Hashirama was sure) Madara nodded firmly; he and his clansmen had done a _lot_ of research on this in the last month and he was pretty sure he knew all the rules and the most important one was that a Hunt marriage was considered sacred as the bonds of family. If he convinced Tobirama he was doing this for good, genuine, horny- wait, _no_, peace, _peace_ reasons and the albino agreed to finishing the hunt (_hng_) then Hashirama would be his brother in every way that mattered to the Senju and their sister clans, it was a good thing the clan held marriage so sacred (that’s why Hashi was getting married to the Uzumaki princess apparently) because that meant there was no way for them _not_ to make peace if this worked (_whimper, _he was so _pretty_).

Hashirama sighed, he didn’t want to be enabling his brother’s ideas, that was _never_ a good idea but… clearly Tobirama was committed to this (and it wasn’t zombie rabbits this time, he shivered and looked around, no rabbits, there was no rabbits here) and it _was _a good idea as far as peace went. Fine, damn it fine, “What are you Hunting then?” he asked in a defeated voice. Madara stood up straight, tossing his head to clear his hair and staring them all down with proud eyes (he made an impressive sight in his Uchiha robes with his dark hair looking like shadow gathered to it’s master, Tobirama licked his lips discreetly, _mmmm_, he had chosen well) as he spoke in a rigging voice “I declare a hunt on Tobirama Senju, run for you are mine” Tobirama didn’t even try to hide his faint smile as he met sharingan eyes, “Catch me if you can” he purred and vanished. Madara blinked, swallowed, (that _voice_) shook himself and launched after the albino, already forgetting the observing Senju (and basically everything else really) in the rush of catching the most tempting prey he had ever pursued.

* * *

Madara ran, trees blurring as he raced after the Senju at top speed; he had been hunting for several hours now and it was only the fact that Tobirama wasn’t wearing proper shoes and Madara’s careful planning for this that meant he could see the pale shape flashing ahead of him (_fuck_ but the albino was fast). He braced himself, launched himself off a tree and slammed into Tobirama bowling over the Senju and landing on top of the younger man, pinning his arms while he gasped for the breath Madara had knocked out of him and straddling the slim waist and hooking his feet over his knee to pin his legs; Madara opened his mouth, ready to launch into his Speech. “I know you-“ huh? Tobirama wasn’t fighting him “you probably don’t-“ he tugged a little on his captured wrists and shifted, which- um, (Madara whimpered) that shifted his shirt open more and Madara could see one pale pink nipple tight in the cool air (was he drooling? He needed to not be drooling) “um… want me to-“ Tobirama’s long fingers flexed but he didn’t pull away “-hu-hunt you-“ the hips between Madara’s thighs shifted (_ooooooohhhhh, eternal flame_) “but, um, I wanted to, um” and he licked his lips, the flash of tongue over thin lips sending fire through Madara’s veins as he watched entranced “…you…not trying to…um” Tobirama blinked, his eyes still smoky and half-lidded with sleep and looking like pure sex.

All thought vanished from Madara’s brain as he stared at his stunning prey, there was something – something he should be… doing…. And it was… um. The albino shifted again, dragging his shirt all the way open and tugging the waist of his pants a little farther down and exposing more of that moonlight hair almost to the base of his cock (_holy shit_), Madara swallowed hard, doing his best not to simply start drooling, there was something… something… he was supposed… “Um, you, I don’t want to… um” Tobirama pouted and Madara’s brain vanished “Would you have preferred Hashirama?” Tobirama asked in his rich voice, sounding upset (Madara needed to fix that, he needed his pretty Tobirama to be happy) it took a second for his words to penetrate Madara’s _thoroughly_ distracted mind but as soon as they did he recoiled “_What?! NO! _yugh, why would you _say_ that!?!” he yelped, sitting back on his heels in between long legs and flailing in disgust. There was a rush of movement and strong thighs clamped around his waist like a bear trap, “I have been trying to get your attention for _months_, so unless you don’t want me just _fuck_ me already!” the albino hissed fiercely and

oh

eternal flame

how?!

he didn’t get this lucky

Madara whimpered pathetically. Tobirama shifted, rolling his hips sharply into Madara’s and sending heat exploding over him at the hard heat he felt there, only barely confined by the pants slipping _lower_ at the movement; Madara – gave in, dropping down to the impossibly tempting pink nub that had been taunting him and licking over it with relish (ooooohh, that _sound_, Madara wanted this sound, wanted more of it) before biting softly and delighting at the shudder it got him.


	42. good (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madara didn't expect this but he just...couldn't let it go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> praise

The first time Madara almost missed it; it was a throwaway comment that he hadn’t intended to voice and had just slipped out in his surprise and yet…. Madara had been walking down the hall in the newly constructed tower- the scent of paint and wood sap had _finally_ faded after almost a year thank gods- when he had seen Tobirama standing front of his office frowning down at the papers in his hand and been reminded abruptly of the file on the Inuzuka that had made the negotiations _so _much easier and the words just slipped out without thinking “Senju, you did a good job with the Inuzuka file. Thanks” probably that would have been all of it- Madara was already bracing himself for a cold retort- except – except Tobirama froze, eyes snapping up to Madara and blown wide with surprise. The Uchiha blinked, thrown by the shock on the younger man’s face and the faint flush that was spreading delicately over his cheekbones as he stared at Madara and then stuttered something to soft for Madara to make out and ducked back into his office the door clicking shut behind him softly.

The Uchiha stared at the closed door for a moment before resuming walking to his own office just beside the Hokage’s, a frown curling over his brow and the Senju’s clear shock seared into his eyes; that was…strange. Tobirama had reacted to a small throw away bit of praise like Madara had – had – had, Madara didn’t have a word for what Tobirama had reacted like except that his shock made something in his chest go tight and sharp; surely it was just surprise that is was _Madara_ saying something nice, surely it was just that and not that the Senju was that surprised, after all he must get praise all the time what with all that he did for the village….right? Madara frowned more darkly at his papers, he didn’t _want_ to care about the albino bastard, not when Izuna still flinched when he moved wrong even after a year and a half since Tobirama had tired to kill him (and then forced Madara to bring Izuna out of the compound and healed the younger Uchiha under Madara’s bloody eyes and Hashirama’s dark sharp gaze); he didn’t want to care about the person that had nearly taken away his last younger brother (Kuro, Toga…) and yet…Tobirama’s shocked red eyes blown wide as he looked at Madara flashed through his head and the Uchiha groaned dropping his head onto the desk the cool wood feeling good on his skin. Fine, ok, he wasn’t going to do anything for the Ghost, but it wouldn’t hurt to keep his eyes open and watch, wouldn’t hurt to watch and see that his suspicions were correct. There was nothing wrong with that, it was just what a good shinobi would do.

* * *

The next week was…strange, Madara watched Tobirama anytime the younger man was around- which was fairly regularly given how often the younger Senju had to take Hashirama to task about his drifting attention, which after watching was a little concerning- and other than not being able to meet Madara’s eyes for a few days (how had a little bit of praise discomfited him that much?) he acted as he always did (right? had he always been this tired? If so how had Madara missed it?) and nothing changed. Which was the problem. Madara had _watched_ Tobirama take piles of Hashirama’s paperwork off the older man’s desk without Hashirama so much as acknowledging him, continuing to chatter at Madara while both brothers acted like it was completely _normal_ for Tobirama to just take over the work that Hashirama didn’t want to do, he had watched the younger Senju give his brother files of information on clans, on infrastructure, treaty drafts and blueprints and more and not once had Hashirama done more than send his brother anything more than a distracted smile (even that made the Senju’s movements stutter a little). Madara had been sure that there was more and weaseled his way into going home with Hashirama one night only to find Tobirama missing and be told that the younger Senju was either still at work or working in his lab; more questions had produced the information that that was completely normal and he had _watched_ Hashirama not make extra for his brother even as he was told that Tobirama was _also_ working on Hashirama’s marriage treaty with the Uzumaki (was there _nothing_ that Tobirama wasn’t somehow involved in?).

By the end of the week his had come to the inescapable conclusion that Tobirama _had_ been that surprised by Madara’s weak praise because no one ever gave it to him. The Uchiha stared out into the dripping garden sipping tea as a faint _ping_ of chakra told him that Tobirama was once again in the tower even though it was a Sunday; he didn’t…he didn’t know what he wanted to do, only that he couldn’t get Tobirama’s shocked wide red eyes and faint blush out of his head (it was a much better look for him than his normal tight almost frown). “Mada?” he hummed in response to Izuna’s soft call, smiling when his brother slipper out the door and dropped to sit next to Madara, leaning heavily on the older Uchiha. “What’s bothering you?” Izuna asked softly and Madara sighed, turning it over in his head for a moment “What do you think of Tobirama?” he asked and Izuna shifted against him but didn’t stiffen or pull away “I – don’t I guess. I mean, he freaks me out but he never did as I feared and turned his brain to hurting us and even _he_ is unlikely to have been playing a game this long.” Madara frowned “Was that what you worried about with him?” he asked and Izuna shrugged “No one knew better than me how brilliant he is, is it a surprise that that worried me? If turned on the clan it would have been terrible, but he’s never done anything to indicate anything other than an obsession with work whatever that work is. He doesn’t hate us as far as I can tell, no more than he hates anyone else; so I guess…I don’t really have an opinion about him other than that he needs a nap.”

Madara grimaced, yeah, he couldn’t argue with that “Even though he almost killed you?” he had to ask; Izuna pulled back and sent him a disbelieving look “Really Madara? He was fighting me in a _war_, of course he took an opening when he got one; I would have done the same in a heartbeat, but I probably wouldn’t have blackmailed Hashirama into letting me heal him” Madara grimaced, that was.. very true wasn’t it “have you been holding that against him?!” Izuna asked in disbelief, eyes wide and blank on his brother “oh my god, get over it. I am and he- ugh- he doesn’t deserve you being angry at him over this” Madara sagged a little, wind taken out of his sails rather thoroughly. “Fine” he muttered, looking away out into the drizzling rain, the damp air filled with the faint clunk of the water bamboo “I’ll be nicer” and if that included seeing if he was right and Tobirama was going to react to praise like he had the first time every time well, Izuna didn’t work in the tower- taking care of clan matters for the most part- so he would never know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question, would it help if I reordered chapters so that continuing stories were buntched together? I was thinking about doing that for the old ones that have their own stories (though I'll still post new chapter as I have been) and I'm not sure how it would effect readers


	43. Good (II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> recognition

Madara put his plan in action the next day when he returned to the tower, just waiting for Tobirama to do something he could praise him for; it was _easy_ too, he had barely sat down at his desk when Tobirama knocked and slipped in to hand Madara some paperwork. The Uchiha hummed and kept a close eye on Tobirama when he said “Thank you Senju” and there it was, that shocked stutter and wide eyed look- not as dramatically as before, so, thanks wasn’t as good as full on praise- the faint hesitation before the younger man nodded jerkily and darted out of the room a little faster than he had entered; at his desk Madara couldn’t decide if he wanted to smirk at discombobulating the composed man or frown at how easy it was to unsettle him.

The next chance came right after lunch as he passed Tobirama on his way out of Hashirama’s office (why did Tobirama never join them at lunch anyway?) and saw the plans for the layout of shinobi ranks (which was very complicated with all the problems with clan loyalty conflicting with village loyalty – after all what Hyuuga would want to put their shinobi under an Uchiha just because they were higher rank) that all of them had been working so hard on, Tobirama more than anyone else “Your changes to that are really good Senju” he said gruffly, doing his best to make it sound like a through-away comment and _damn_ there was that reaction again; Tobirama froze and flushed and his lovely red eyes went wide as his steps stuttered (fuck but that was _cute_). Madara forced himself not to react and just keep going though he didn’t hear Tobirama’s steps resume until Madara was halfway down the hallway.

Over the next week Madara continued his plan, trying to pace it so that is wasn’t too often and keep it small and light so that Tobirama wasn’t overwhelmed (“good job with the Nara” adorable red eyes going wide “You don’t like the Hyuuga? Why?” not praise but Tobirama reacted in a similar way “Thanks for the dossier Senju, it helps” leaving Tobirama blinking after him) and it turned out that planning for the albino getting overwhelmed was a good idea because by the end of the week Tobirama was watching him warily and finally on Friday afternoon he knocked on Madara’s door, entering the office before Madara had a chance to call out; he looked tired and frazzled, more confused and upset than Madara had ever seen him (it made something in his gut churn unpleasantly, what the hell? What did he care) as he stocked to the desk and slammed his hands down on the sturdy wood “What do you _want_ Uchiha?” huh, Tobirama hadn’t called him that since the Tower was built, using ‘Madara-sama’ instead. “I don’t know what you mean” he said slowly and the Senju flushed deeper in anger (it wasn’t as pretty as his blush) snarling with clear anger (only…there was something under the anger, hurt?) “_Yes you do_” he hissed “you’ve been being _nice_ to me, you’re _complimenting_ me, are you mocking me?” oh. oh shit, now he really did look hurt, _really _hurt, wounded and now, well, now Madara felt _awful_ about that (…since when did he care) especially since the idea that someone saying good things about his work was so surprising that Tobirama thought there was something else going on.

Madara cleared his throat and looked away for a moment, trying to figure out how to give an answer that the albino would believe “I – don’t want anything.” Tobirama looked deeply disbelieving “_really_, honestly Tobirama, I’m not mocking you or anything. You do good work” Tobirama looked confused, thrown off enough by Madara’s use of his name that the anger faded into looking flustered again (Madara’s favorite blush was back). “I-“ the Senju started and Madara reached out and touched the back of his hand making the other man instantly stutter to a stop (wait, that was – that shock and shiver was, what was going on here?) which Madara took advantage of “I promise you that I’m not _mocking _you” (and the fact that that was where his mind had jumped was…infuriating, had that happened to him before?). Tobirama stared at him for a long moment, eyes wide and confused and _trusting?_ Sort of? (what had Madara done to earn that?) the albino drew back, pulling his hand out from under Madara’s with clear reluctance, his eyes soft and wounded but something bright glinting far, _far_, back in red eyes “Oh. I – I don’t, um, you – why” he was stuttering, (Madara didn’t know how to deal with this) “I –“ he searched for words for another second before ducking his head and vanishing from Madara’s office too fast for the Uchiha to track.

Frustrated and…concerned (maybe, _maybe_) Madara leaned back in his chair and folding his arms; he wasn’t going to stop what he had been doing, _especially _now, he would have to be careful and make sure that he didn’t overwhelm Tobirama again but also make sure that the albino didn’t think he was stopping as at this point that would hurt even worse Madara was sure. Damn it. he hadn’t gone into this intending to start something he would have to do long term!


	44. sleep beside me

Tobirama's snarl was flat out vicious when he dropped it down next to Madara, "For _fuck-sake_ Dara, I don't know why the hell I put up with this insanity, the bullshit that I have to deal with every fucking day! One of your idiotic clansmen set the tower on fire three times Madara, _three times_, and do you know who gets called into the deal with it? The only water user in the village of course. I seriously have to find more people with my elemental infinity, this ridiculous.” He sighed, slumping backward next to his lover “I mean of course there's that Nara woman but if she makes one more pass at me while inviting me to play chess I’m going to kill someone, preferably her. Didn't even get to spend any time with my kids today; I mean it's good because the building of the academy is going pretty well but not the way I would have liked and –“ he cut himself off with a smile and a glance at Madara, “and I’ve already told you about that. Hashirama's just more of a nightmare to deal with every day- I wish you would do something about that, but I get it- and today he was in _rare_ form, I could strangle him and I just-“ he scrubbed at his face “sorry, he’s your friend you probably don’t want to listen to me whine about him, he just…you think I’m not a terrible person right?” Tobirama could hear a soft huff of air next to him and sighed again, he had a hard time remembering sometimes whether or not Madara had actually told him that but he, well, he shouldn’t be disturbing Madara’s sleep with this.

“Kagami did so well one his mission today- once I could escape the paper monsters and check- and Hikaku was _very _proud of his new uniform, strutting around and finally meeting people’s eyes again, I was nice to see him so sure of himself and the clan again- I _told you_ that setting them up with the police would help balance power and given them something to be proud of” and he had, several times he had argued with Madara about this being the right thing for the Uchiha; but with Tobirama set to take up the hat after Hashirama- he was going to be so bad at it, if there was _anyone_ else that could do it he would run from the Hokage’s office as fast as he could, he didn’t look forward to failing in anything and he _would_ in that- and therefore cementing the Senju’s position of power something needed to be done to balance the power and give the Uchiha power in the village again. “I hope I’m not making a mistake” he whispered into the silent night, Madara still and peaceful next to him.

Tobirama bit his lip, he needed sleep, and stood slowly, glancing fondly at Madara next to him and passing his hand over the brilliant white stone, “Sleep well love” he whispered and reluctantly slipped away and back to the lights of the village Madara looked out over (and would for eternity).


	45. little bird (not my fault)

"-you're telling me _this_ is Madara?" Tobirama asked slowly, the young Uchiha next to him shifted uncomfortably but nodded and Tobirama dropped down into a crouch in front of the stocky little bird. "My husband has been turned into a kea bird" he said softly, staring at the small stocky shape; it rather suited Madara on farther thought, stocky and strong with flashy wings in flight and strong sharp beak, not to mention to whole carnivorous parrot thing and rampant curiosity the species was supposed to possess. He hummed softly under his breath, "I suppose nothing to do but to take you home now and work on putting you to rights tomorrow," he said with a sigh watching the bird poke at things and give it's strange trilling-squeaky cry; "I suppose it's rather too much to hope you know what's going on right now?" Madara-kea tilted his head at Tobirama and waddled forward to hook his intimidating beak in the wrap around Tobirama’s ankles and pulling at it several times before using it to start clambering up the albino’s clothing, pulling at things here and there- looking for food presumably- and then settling on Tobirama’s shoulder tugging at his white hair and tapping his beak against the shiny metal of the happuri.

Tobirama sighed and brought up a hand to help the bird balance on his shoulder as he stood before yanking his hand back with a hiss when Madara-kea’s beak brushed against his fingers, right, _carnivorous_ bird. Yay. Didn’t Tobirama feel special. “I thought I was the one that got into crazy accidents like this dear, you realize I am _never_ going to let you forget this” he glanced at the bird out of the corner of his eye and it squeaked tilting it’s head with bright birdy eyes (Tobirama shoved down the twist of worry in the stomach at that blank look, he could fix this) fixed on the bright metal around Tobirama’s face “_never_”.

* * *

Madara stirred slowly, head _aching_ and something strange about his face (there was supposed to be something there, something hard and-) “’dara? Madara?” Tobirama’s voice slipped though the fog in his head and Madara moaned pitifully, his voice doing something odd and trilling “To’ra?” he whimpered and felt his husband’s hands curl around his face immediately and forced his eyes open. Tobirama was staring down at him with worried red eyes and deep shadows under them and Madara wished he could make his arms work enough to touch his husband’s worried face; Tobirama searched his face for something- Madara didn’t know what- and then relaxed and smiled crookedly at the Uchiha “This” he said firmly “was not in _anyway_ my fault dear, it’s all on you” Madara blinked at his beautiful husband and wondered about the bevy of new scratches on the metal of his face guard until Tobirama ducked down and kissed him and all worry about _why_ he felt like his fingers should be _feathery_ vanished in an instant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> saw a picture of a kea bird and all I could think of was Madara


	46. in soft voices

Hikaku watched as Madara spoke to Tobirama in a soft voice so unlike his normal explosive volume, shocked when the stern Senju actually smiled a little and relaxed agiasnt the door frame and tipping into Madara’s space; had he really been gone long enough for something to have changed _this _much? Izuna snorted next to him and the Uchiha jumped at the sudden appearance of the clan heir at his side “Huh?” Hikaku said dumbly and Izuna rolled his eyes “Yeah, that’s a thing now” the Uchiha heir said and Hikaku couldn’t get his mouth to close “_Where’s the yelling?!_” he breathed. Izuna snorted again “Yeah, Madara hasn’t yelled at him in _weeks_, as soon as he stopped Tobirama started doing _that_” the other man snarked and Hikaku couldn’t quite drag his eyes away from the scene at the door “Huh?”

* * *

Hashirama hummed softly and didn’t look up from his papers at Madara where the Uchiha stood over him, still fuming “Tobi hates people yelling at him, it reminds him of – bad things” Hashirama’s wince wasn’t covered nearly well enough to hide the fact that there was a longer story there “if you want him to listen to you try talking to him separately and _not_ _yelling_” Madara snorted and spun out of the office in a huff, so much for Hashirama being helpful pulling the stick out of his brother’s ass!

Two days later Madara was frazzled enough to take Hashirama’s advice even if he didn’t want to; he was tired of arguing with Tobirama at meeting and never getting anywhere with his points after the Senju threw his walls up and if talking to the ass before the meeting this afternoon- an _important_ one- and keeping his voice down was what needed to happen he would do it damn it! Madara blew out a slow breath and gathered his composure together as firmly as he could before knocking and letting himself in before Tobirama had a chance to speak “What Uchiha” the albino bastard asked icily, eyes sharp on Madara’s face and the Uchiha bit back his already rising temper “I need to talk to you about the meeting today, the one about clan celebrations” he said in a studiously even voice; Tobirama blinked and his eyes narrowed but he nodded slowly and waited for Madara to say more (deep breaths, _deep breaths_). But by the time he had finished his explanation about what he wanted to talk about and why it mattered (he _couldn’t_ let his clans precious celebrations vanish into the village, it would ruin them to lose their cultural identity, they needed it to control their eyes) carefully keeping his voice even and low (don’t yell, don’t yell) the lines on the albino’s face had eased, the sharp anger in his eyes fading with the aggression as he listened. Madara finished his piece in a little bit of shock as Tobirama hummed softly and frowned- not from anger as far as Madara could tell- but there was none of the usual fight Madara had expected, had it really only taken not yelling to have Tobirama’s attention?

The rest of the conversation went by in a bit of a daze as they talked in completely even voices and actually worked through problems and Madara walked out of the pale Senju’s office in daze; wandering into Hashirama’s office and flopping down in the other man’s guest chair “Madara?” Hashirama asked from far away “You were right” Madara said hazily “how was it that easy?” Hashirama’s mouth opened and shut a few times “Uh…” “All it took was _not yelling_, how was it that easy?” Madara blurted out and Hashirama blinked and then laughed “Oh! you talked to Tobi then. He does like you Madara, I told you so! just as soon as he didn’t start thinking about father when you yelled at him I knew it wouldn’t be so bad!” (Madara…was not going to think about the tidbit about their father, at least not right now). What made it all worse was that the meeting did go well, Tobirama even speaking up on Madara’s side at one point (when Madara sent him a grateful look he looked shocked and then flushed a little as he looked down, clearly Madara needed to do this more, it was so much better than before) and quietly inserting points that Madara- forcing himself not to yell at Tobirama though he didn’t bother not to with others- could push back against and use to make his point more effectively. It was….well it was _more_ then worth the effort of keeping his temper.

* * *

Ania felt her lips pull back a little in distaste at the sight of the stern looking younger Senju brother, she had yet to see him unbend even a little and it was – oh, wait, Madara-sama was coming down the street. This should be good, as far as she could tell Madara yelled at _everyone_\- he had even raised his voice at her party though only briefly and she hadn’t bothered to be upset when it was so clearly just his default to be…shouty. She quite liked it actually. Ania sat up a little straighter, excited to see the confrontation between the men and maybe even see the cold Senju taken down a peg (Ania disliked people that lied about their emotions, disliked them _deeply_). The Uchiha ran into the Senju close enough that she couldn’t quiet hear them- not that she had expected that to be a problem with the volume Madara-sama could reach- and then – and then nothing happened. Well, no, that wasn’t quite right, Tobirama’s stance eased and the tight lines of his face softened as he listened to the Uchiha speak in a soft low voice. Why wasn’t Madara-sama yelling? Madara-sama yelled at _everyone _“Ania-hime?” the Uchiha with her asked- Ania didn’t remember her name- and the ambassador answered without turning away form the scene in front of her “Why isn’t he yelling? He yells at _everyone_?” she spluttered. The Uchiha laughed “Oh no, the only person the Madara-sama _never_ yells at is the white Senju” the other woman said firmly and Ania could quite tear her eyes away from the sight of Madara speaking softly and Tobirama’s face gone gentle and easy “They’re together then?” she asked- honestly a little disappointed- but the Uchiha rolled her eyes “Not yet, though everyone would like it if they did and got it over with” and disappointed or not Ania couldn’t help but agree, the tension (or, um, lack of it, more like aura of warm fuzzy magnetism) around them palpable even from where the two women were sitting.

* * *

Madara felt his lips tip up in a smile when he saw the younger man enter his office, already adjusting his voice to speak softer- as he always did for his (_not _his, not yet anyway) Senju- “Tobirama, what can I do for you?” the younger man smiled a little, that tiny half smile Madara _adored _“Nothing urgent I just –“ he hesitated and the smile fell away leaving something tired and a little lost on his face that made Madara’s back to tight and his voice drop deeper and softer (his alternative to when he _really_ wanted to yell) “Tobirama?” the Senju shivered a little and his fingers twisted together hard enough to make Madara’s stomach go tight (he hated it when Tobirama did that to himself, couldn’t help but wonder if the way that Tobirama hurt himself when he was upset was related to the yelling thing). Madara stood and walked around the desk, snagging Tobirama’s wrist and pulling the younger man to sit next to him on the large sofa shoved against the wall; it took a few tugs to pull Tobirama down to sit next to him and Madara gave up on keeping himself from pulling the albino’s hands apart, cupping long fingered hands to keep his friend (hopefully more as soon as Madara could get up the balls to say something) from hurting himself more “Tobirama what’s wrong?” the Senju shifted uncomfortably and then drew in a sharp breath “Hashirama told you to stop yelling if you wanted me to listen didn’t he?” Madara froze, not totally sure how to answer but Tobirama went on before he could “I – did he tell you why?” Madara shook his head silently and Tobirama shivered as the Uchiha tightened his hold on the elegant hands in his hold “I – father – it” Tobirama was visibly struggling for words and Madara reached up to cup his cheek, shifting the albino’s hands in his hold but not letting go.

“You don’t have to tell me” he murmured and Tobirama sent him an uncertain glance “you don’t, really, it’s ok. If me shouting makes you uncomfortable than I won’t, I –“ he hesitated “you matter to me, I don’t mind. Besides” he added with a smile “I rarely feel the need to shout at you anymore” Tobirama flushed again and looked down, turning his face into Madara’s hand and sending a shiver through the Uchiha as he gathered his courage; “I – may I kiss you?” he asked husky and low and Tobirama’s eyes few open and wide before he nodded with a faint blush. (yes, Madara decided, he was very, _very_ glad he had asked Hashirama for advice)


	47. Blessed abomination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Accursed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reverse red eyed blessed of Amaterasu fic

Tobirama had grown up knowing he was an abomination by anyone’s measure; his clan looked in his eyes and flinched from red and even the _Uchiha _hated people with red eyes, viewing them as abominations that had stolen the blessing of their patron Goddess. Red eyes were hated even by those that possessed them half the time and Tobirama- sometimes Tobirama wondered if he would be better off if he just cut out his eyes altogether, he would have if he didn’t know that it would break his brother’s heart; Hashirama had always done everything he could for Tobirama- and Tobirama had done the same as much as he could, always training harder and being _better_ so that when the time came he could stand at his brother’s right hand- had stopped their Father from killing him twice when Tobirama was still too young and small to defend himself, had found and killed the Uchiha that had gotten a glimpse of his eyes when he was eight (Hashirama had never stopped feeling guilty for that but had promised Tobirama that he would _never_ regret it, not when the Uchiha would have hunted him down like an animal if word had gotten back to them about Tobirama’s eyes). Hashirama had done everything he could to defend Tobirama though it wasn’t always enough; not when Father decided that if he couldn’t kill Tobirama he would _make _his failed son into something useful, not when Father took it into his head that Tobirama should learn sage mode so that he could sense better to see without uncovering his eyes, never mind that Tobirama was already so sensitive that sage mode could have killed him. He had lived, barley, but it had left marks on him that would never fade (another thing to set him apart from the clan) and forced him to learn control like never before to keep himself from falling into sage mode again and loosing himself to the pawer.

When he had been allowed to see his brother again Hashirama had cried, not the dramatic, sniffling, weeping that he normal fell into but an almost silent sobbing as he held Tobirama’s hand, the albino still so sensitive that anything closer was painful. Tobirama had brushed at his brother’s hair and hummed a song that their mother sang before she died, waiting until Hashi’s tears slowed to ask about Itama and let Hashirama fill him in about all that had happened while Tobirama was…gone. Later the albino had started teaching his brother how to use sage mode, doing the same with Itama even though it infuriated Father (he wouldn’t see his brothers die when he could do something) and meant that in his anger he sent Itama away to foster with the Uzumaki (Tobirama cried when his little brother was sent away but couldn’t help but be glad to get Itama away from Father and the Uchiha, he might still be killed in Uzushio but, the Uchiha weren’t over there). It was after that at nine and newly aware of what it felt like to lose another brother that Tobirama ran into Kuro Uchiha on the borders. He new in an instant who the boy (boy?) was, the youngest living Uchiha her had the same twist to his chakra that his father had and Tobirama had felt in Tajima before (all Uchiha were warm to Tobirama- even those that crackled with lightning rather than fire- but the main line was _distinctive,_ all of them felt a bit like…like the old lacquer on the heirloom objects Father loved as a sign of their old blood, they felt old and regal somehow, like…the way chakra tasted in the oldest seals Tobirama had felt). So Kuro- who felt like _oldchakra-stillwarmash-freshallspice-_ was clearly one of them.

Tobirama knew what Father would want him to do, knew what his duty was, but he just…his brother flashed through his head and how badly he wanted something better for them, the pain of loosing Kawa and the way it felt to see Itama leave knowing it would be a _long_ time before he saw his brother again and Tobirama just – his senses flashed out despite the pain it sent spearing through his head finding Tajima first (_oldchakra-burntmetal-bitterthyme_), jumping to Izuna (_sharpsoral-lightningfire-petriyedwood_) and then Madara (_cloves-valcanovent-sauna_) and Tobirama froze as the eldest Uchiha son’s chakra washed over him in a _wave_; so strong he could almost tastefeelsmell it, grounding and focusing and just – Tobirama jarred back to the present when he felt Senju’s nearby. The albino boy bit his lip _hard_, he knew what Father would want but…before he even though it through he dropped out of the tree behind the small Uchiha, wrapping his arm around the smaller shape and covering his mouth with his hand; he couldn’t let the Senju get to Kuro but he _couldn’t _let the other boy (?) see him. So he held the Uchiha tight against his body as he darted back into and up the trees, he couldn’t let the Senju know he was there; luckily Tobirama had _practice _hiding (so, so much, bandages wrapped around his eyes or not Father never wanted Tobirama to be seen, the albino was _very_ good at stealth missions, he could steal almost _anything_) and Kuro was smart enough to hold still as soon as he heard the Senju’s movement through the forest.

They stayed like that, Tobirama doing his best to hide them with his chakra for a _long_ time until he deemed the other Senju far enough away to use a tiny medical jutsu to send the other boy (?) into a light unconsciousness and hefted the Uchiha onto his shoulders before heading to the Uchiha border, he could leave Kuro there and just _hope_ that he hadn’t save someone only for them to kill his clan members. Tobirama hesitated for a long moment after stashing the boy (?) in a tree on his side, he should be safe but Tobirama felt…felt like he should do something _more_ somehow; it was in part the albino knew because the dissonance in Kuro chakra where it should have indicated his gender was grating, Tobirama couldn’t help but want to _fix _it a task and test he wanted to make better and he had never been good at turning away from his curiosity. He wavered for a long moment and chewed on his lips even as he shoved his hand into the pouch on his waist, he could _fix _this; all he had to do was find a way to make the inner chakra match the outer shape and while _chakra_ was hard to change, shape was easier, he already had messed with something like this after all and Kuro’s chakra _wanted_ to be in a different shape. Tobirama could fix this. he _could_.

Tobirama wasn’t sure how long he was working on the jutsu for Kuro but it was getting dark by the time he dragged himself out of his task, his eyes went huge when he saw where the sun was through the bandages (they were thin enough for him to see outlines of light and dark); Father was going to be _furious…_and it would still be worth it if Tobirama’s jutsu worked. Not that he was going to use it on the Uchiha, he wasn’t foolish enough to use a completely new and untested jutsu on someone he didn’t want dead, the best he could do for now was to leave it with Kuro and then the Uchiha could try it and see if it would work before anyone used it; it was unsatisfying to say the least (Tobirama wanted to _know_, that had always been his flaw) but it was the best he could do and he needed to _leave_. Grumbling under his breath he left the written out instructions to the jutsu tucked in Kuro’s thigh pouch and quickly remove the medical jutsu and darted back into the trees; Kuro was just eight but Tobirama was well aware of how little age made a difference in skill, after all Tobirama himself could already defeat people _years_ older than him (only Hashirama was better of those under sixteen- and some older- and Tobirama wasn’t sure how much of that was that mokuton and how much was Hashi).

Kuro woke with clear grogginess and as he put things together Tobirama could _feel_ him start to panic, sending frightened glances back into the trees and Tobirama really couldn’t blame him, as far as he knew he had been snatched in the forest and then sent unconscious for _hours_, only missing a meeting with Senju that _would_ (and almost certainly could) kill him. It was a _very_ close call and Kuro was clearly aware of that as he ran back to the Uchiha compound and Tobirama forced himself not to get swept up in Madara Uchiha’s chakra, no Uchiha would ever be comfortable with a red eyed person, Tobirama knew that (he did).

* * *

Hashirama was torn between pride and horror when Tobirama explained why he was back so late- Tobirama knew that it was one of his brother’s deepest fears that Tobirama would be found out by the Uchiha- but eventually the fear calmed and Hashirama was greedy for anything the albino could tell him about the other clan for all that it wasn’t much and maybe it was that curiosity that meant that Tobirama didn’t say anything when he felt Hashirama start meeting up with Madara Uchiha. Hashirama wanted to meet them, wanted peace with the Uchiha and Tobirama was one of the biggest obstacles; it would be best for Hashirama to form his own opinion of Madara without Tobirama doing anything, so Tobirama just…started pulling their Father’s attention. It wasn’t hard to distract him at first or tell Father that Hashirama was training with sage mode in the forest- father never argued with that and knew well that disturbing Hashi would be a bad idea in sage mode- so Tobirama grit his teeth and pushed through the pain of the extra training and Father’s attention (it was worse now without Hashi keeping an eye on him). But eventually – eventually Tobirama noticed through his exhaustion that Hashirama was speaking to him less, that even when he was with his brother Hashirama’s eyes were elsewhere, that Hashirama never _told_ Tobirama about Madara even though he should have known Tobirama could feel them (maybe he knew Tobirama could and that was why he never said anything? Maybe); it was as if Hashirama was drifting away from him and that was like a punch in Tobirama’s stomach (and Tobirama couldn’t even be angry about it, not when Hashirama was so happy and Madara seemed so interesting– his chakra was always like a loadstone to Tobirama’s senses- it made sense for Hashirama to be so distracted and it was a good thing- it _was_\- for him to have some time not worrying about Tobirama. It wasn’t so hard to make sure that Hashirama could do that, all he had to do was just, not go to his brother when training got to rough; he didn’t _need_ to anyway, he could heal too even if he was best at small tightly controlled things, not bruises and it was hard to heal himself, it was worth it if Hashirama was happy. And if Tobirama wanted to go to his brother and curl up next to his sturdy strength, well, he could do without. _He could_).


	48. Things that Linger (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world of yokai is complicated by the many kinds that walk the land and the ever complicated relationships between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was partially sparked by a ficlet/one-shot I read but I can't remember the name of it...

Tobirama curled his fluffy tail tighter around his bare toes, kneading the rough bark of the tree he was perched on with fingers and toes in anticipation he couldn’t quite hide. It was stupid, what he was doing; foolish and almost certain to end with him cut up and rebuffed as it always had before (as it had ever since Butsuma Senju sent him from the clan in disgrace- full yokai he might be but somewhere he had…twisted- and Tobirama had looked back to see not even his brother watching him go) but he couldn’t force himself away from the other yokai, couldn’t stop himself from looking for company (looking for a mate) when the Call hit him every few months no matter how often it had gotten him hurt. Oh he was plenty strong to put ninety percent of the yokai that he had met in the ground but that didn’t help with the shackle around his ankle that Butsuma hadn’t taken off before he was banished binding portions of his powered to tight for him to access it and…well. when he was following the Call he could hardly convince himself to fight back very hard anyway. It hadn’t been a problem for a while, Butsuma had kicked him out when he was young, newly endowed with his markings only a year or two before (only a few years past being a child) and he had spent years after that _trying_ to answer the Call only to be turned away with hatred by all he met; now he hardly tried, doing his best to curl up in his den and suffer through it until the need to _not be alone_ faded again and he could…fine, again.

But the last few years had been different, ever since he had moved closer to the cliffs and he had first felt the yokai the lived there (Tobirama didn’t think he had been there long, he would have noticed if the yokai had he was sure) Tobirama hadn’t been able to spend the Call alone the way he used to; now he spent the days running up to the Call haunting the edge of the yokai on the cliffs territory in an attempt to catch more of the taste of his power and maybe a whiff of scent if he could before forcing himself back to his lonely den and the seals that waited there for the rest of the Call. He was well old enough to be rid of childish notions and the idea that some powerful, protective, clever yokai would do anything other than chase him away was the _height_ of foolishness; no yokai would welcome him and certainly not a _Daiyokai_. No he was better here, on the edge where he could get a scraping of a feeling and then leave without having to hear ‘_no_’.

Tobirama sighed and stretched his senses- never as good after the cuff had been put on, like everything else they were dulled, but he made do with what he had and it was still enough to feel over several territories and most of Fire county, just with none of his former precision- and shivered a little as the feeling of warmth and ash rolled over him from the Daiyokai; letting it swamp him for a lingering moment, relaxing into the shadow of the tree and trying not to lean towards where he could feel the other yokai in the west. After some time he reluctantly dragged his senses away from lingering on the Daiyokia (who was not even alone, if he did feel the Call- not all of them did- he wouldn’t be touched by it) and back to himself; there was too many people in the area and he didn’t want to encounter any of them if he could avoid it. It took a good sharp bite to his lip and the accompanying bloom of pain to drag himself all the way away, swiping at his chin and the blood there as he readied to run, it was time to go before the Call got to strong (Tobirama could never decide if it was better or worse to have felt the Daiyokai in the short moments he let himself, it was _wonderful_ but leaving…well, he couldn’t decide).

His den was well hidden (very well hidden) it had to be; technically he had territory even though it was small and few knew much about him as anything other than a rumor to not go past the guardian marks because cured things lived there, after the first marker had been set up and he had seen how they kept people away he had made the effort to find more and have them put up around his small section of forest – dark and wild and fell with the seals he had carved and the steady seep of his chakra (Tobirama had been here a long time) into the ground. But no matter how much his territory was called cursed and _felt _it, there were some who would come looking anyway and there was rather less he could use against them then the simple fact that he _knew_ this forest, knew it well; the traps and seals and mazes his territory was filled with weren’t always enough (he wasn’t always enough, no matter how he out though all that wanted _his_ land for their own he was still shackled in a real fight, had been ever since Butsuma closed the cuff around his ankle as he sobbed dryly) and so his den _had _to be hidden, had to be safe, had to be given how often he trapped himself in a web of seals to wait out the Call.

Tobirama chewed at his lip sharply again, ducking through the tumble of tall jagged rocks- all shale and blade sharp edges- and ignoring the dizzying maze of seals and natural rock confusion; slipping off the main trail that led to a fake den and ducking under several tumbled rocks and eeling through almost too small cracks to jump up and climb to a ledge and into a small cave then down into a drop down to his den proper. It was comprised of four rooms the largest of which was a main cave that was almost tall enough for him to stand and filled with low rough furniture (his favorite was the desk tucked against the wall and it showed in the smoothness of the wood the other furniture didn’t possess) the next direct across was smaller and had his cooking things (glad he had figured out how to heat and cook without fire and the tell-tail smoke, he _liked_ cooked food) as well as the beginnings of an escape route that he could blow out if his home was invaded. The third room was filled with his favorite things, a think pile of fur in the center and books and scrolls and paper all over; the fourth…he hated. It was his seal net, he had carved it out on his own, deep and somewhat small and low ceilinged it was only just tall enough for him to sit up fully and completely bare of any comforts at all, nothing but he seals carved deep into the ground.

Tobirama stared into the room for a long moment and then gave himself a shake; he had already cleaned up outside, all that he had left was to change and then get settled and then…he gave himself another good shake and started stripping off his clothing. There was no point in fucking up perfectly good clothing by sweating though it and rolling around in the dirt, not to mention the blood that would end up all over him he was sure (it was hard, in the middle of the Call, not to try and get rid of what was trying to hold him down by anyway he could); he grimaced a little as he yanked of the old soft yukata, ignoring the old stains on the threadbare gray cloth. Once this had been his favorite, back before he realized what the cuff on his ankle meant, now it was still the most comfortable thing he owned but the memories made it all but unwearable except for this. A few finishing touches to the complex protections around his forest patch and the net tight around his den before it was time and he reluctantly crawled into the seal room and knelt in the middle of the array; a deep breath and fingers hovering over the seals he sent out one last desperate wave of his senses, catching one last (slightly frantic) second to feel the Daiyokai before dropping his fingers and letting power twist through the lines, catching them and burning through them as the burned fire bright and snapped shut around him – _oh gods this always_ _hurt **so much**_.


	49. Things that Linger (II)

Madara frowned at his brother darkly, the Call a faint whisper in his mind that was easily ignored in favor of making Izuna fucking _leave_; he loved his brother but gods of fire did he want Izuna to get out of his hair, there was a reason (well several reasons) that Madara had left his old land to find new territory and it included getting away from his fucking clan and over baring brother. “Madara, you’re a Daiyokai, you have to take the time to meet the lords, _especially_ if you have new lands and you know as soon as you do they’re going to ask about mates again and-“ “_NO” _Madara snapped sharply, cutting his brother off before the old argument could start “no, Izuna, I don’t care. At this point I have more than enough power to tell the other lords to fuck off as I have for the last years, and no. I am not going to take a mate just for them, nor am I taking one to deal with the Call, it has never pulled strongly at me-“ Izuna’s mouth opened, about to refuse to leave and let Madara be alone during the Call “-and I have weathered them alone before, so yes, you can _fuck off_” Madara snarled and Izuna looked away with his arms folded huffily.

The Uchiha sighed and passed a hand over his wild hair, “Izuna” he said tiredly; “You ever looked into the curse lands to the east?” his brother asked, ignoring Madara’s words and making the kirin’s lips pull back even as he responded “Not yet no, there is something there but it never hurts anyone if you stay away from the markers” he said, forcing his voice to be even. Izuna’s lips pursed “You took up territory near cursed land and never checked on what was in it?” he asked in an unimpressed voice “you do realize that it would be dangerous?” Madara just looked at him, unimpressed, there was no reason to go bother something that had never bothered hm “Fine, but I know I saw traces of something lingering near your border over there” Madara locked his jaw to keep from reacting to Izuna’s words, holding his brother’s eyes; he had been aware for a while now that there was something or someone watching his border there, had even felt a faint lingering brush of _something_ across his senses when he was sitting in his home

After a long time Izuna sighed and looked away, ducking his head to show Madara his neck a bit as he conceded the argument; Madara softened a little at the show of submission, it wasn’t like Izuna didn’t have a bit of a point after all, he probably should look into his lurker. “It’s fine Izu, I’ll look into it if that would make you feel better. You just…there was a reason I left and you pushing doesn’t make that go away, I quite like my new territory after all” the younger yokai ducked his head farther and nodded, only a little sulky in his defense. Madara ruffled his hair and sent his brother on his way, trying to ignore the lingering awkwardness and strain between them, Izuna had spent far to much time with their mother and he was never going to understand why Madara refused to take a mate based on power or convenience (as their parents had) or just find someone to spend the Call with; Madara had never wanted that, had never wanted the sort of empty space that their mother and father had and no matter how much easier it would be if he was willing to do that he _refused_. Izuna probably thought that it had to do with Hashirama and while he wasn’t wrong necessarily it had far less to do with his once friend than Izuna or the others thought; truth was Madara needed to get _away_, it wasn’t in his nature to stay where there wasn’t a great person to stay with. And no matter what Hashirama thought he wasn’t the sort of person that could keep a Kirin

Kirin were said to usher in new ages, said to be the companion of kings and leaders that showed the way into a new era (of course they were also said to be benevolent and never eat meat so, you know, the legends weren’t always right), and maybe they were, Madara had never met another of his kind in all his long years and really shouldn’t have even been born given that none of the rest of his family was Kirin; but that was the way of his kind, come out of nowhere and vanish the same way – they certainly didn’t reproduce yokai of their own kind anyway. But Hashirama…Hashirama had been convinced that he was the leader Madara was supposed to accompany and no amount of Madara trying to tell him that 1. He wasn’t and 2. It didn’t work like that. The Kirin was never some sort of companion/servant/consort hybrid but a full onlead as much as their ‘king’ was; Hashirama hadn’t wanted to hear it, had been so attached to the idea that he was going to make peace between the yokai and humanity- never mind that they were essentially at peace now, no Hashirama wanted _integration_ and wouldn’t listen to arguments against it from anyone- with Madara as the herald of his divine right to lead that by the time Madara left the yokai that had once been his friend was long gone in the mess that was Hashirama’s ideals.

So Madara had walked away. Oh he was strong enough to send Hashirama packing- they might both be Daiyokai but no Komainu could beat a Kirin, not even one that was closer to being a Kodama; no Madara was Hashirama’s equal and probably his better, _especially _ if he found his king- if it had come to a fight, luckily it hadn’t, Madara didn’t want to fight Hashirama, just get his point across and escape his family and the wanting eyes that followed him; did they _really_ think he would take a mate without first finding his king? Idiots. (the king of a Kirin wasn’t a literal king the way stories made it seem though it frequently fell out that way, the king was someone the Kirin could devote themselves to, someone that could ground them and tether them and keep them focused and present. Madara knew he would find his king eventually and didn’t really worry about it, it meant he had never felt the call all that strongly and didn’t feel any need for a mate until he knew what his relationship would be with his king (another reason he didn’t want Hashirama, he knew himself well enough to know he would want _his_ king in his bed and no others, he was possessive like that, and he most certainly _didn’t _want Hashirama in his bed, he knew that after a few ill-advised nights together in the past) so Izuna’s worries were really unneeded and unwanted.

Madara dragged a hand through his hair, massaging the base of his horns where they swept back out of his hair; if it would make Izuna feel better he could stir himself out of his home and go take a peak at his border to see what was there, after all he had been living here for over five years now, he really ought to go take a look. Mind made up he stretched and went to change into something better suited to the outdoors, the swooping halls of his home where it had been cut into the rock high on the cliffs allowing air and light to flow freely though out in a rush that Madara had never gotten tired of (how Izuna missed the fact that Madara also actually just liked his new home better Madara had no idea). The journey to his border was easy even with the size of his territory and as he got closer to the edge something in Madara shifted almost pulling him up short (had he never been over here since he established the boundary?), there was something…something different over here. Tipping his head back he scented the air blinking surprises as the faint scent of another yokai- though not of a kind Madara could place- hit him; it was like, like storms and ink and mint with a faint hint of lilac, like wild power barely held in check and refined intelligence and refreshing curiosity all bundled up at once and Madara hardly noticed his eyes slip closed as he got closer and tired to catch more of the scent.

It was only when the sharp iron tang of blood hit him that Madara was startled out of his daze back into the present, something twisting in his stomach; what in the world was hanging around his border and why was it hurt? Madara had felt the presence before faintly and had never given it much thought given that it never felt ill intentioned, just remote and a bit sad, now he rather wished he had in light of this. With a frown the Kirin jumped into the trees and over his border, shooting a glance at the small curse marker as he slipped over into the markedly different woods. The blood was on a tree just out of his territory as if something had settled there for a bit and just waited on the edge, why-? The blood was only a little and speckled on the tree like someone had wiped at a minor wound before leaving and there was also odd tears in the bark, whatever he was chasing had _claws_. Strangely elated Madara glanced farther into the darker woods, dragging in another scented mouthful of air; the presence Madara had felt had seemed lonely sometimes and Madara was _curious_ how they had hidden themselves so well that there was nothing more than a rumor of a ghost, something Madara had assumed to be true until now – ghosts don’t bleed.

Mind made up Madara set off into the trees though he had to slow his movements almost immediately when he was almost ensnared in a complicated seal forged vision, a _impressive_ vision like Madara hadn’t seen outside of the capital and Uzumaki seal masters, so how had it gotten _here_ in the middle of nowhere? Even more intrigued now Madara set off again at a slower rate, which was good given the sheer number of traps and mazes and seal nets that filled the trees; this at least explained how the person living here had avoided detection and outsiders, these woods were simply too dangerous and had Madara be even a _jot_ less powerful and careful he would have been ensnared as well. As it was even he was caught in some of the more devious tricks, things like the ways that power was sunk into the trees here, power and _pain_ that filled the shadows with tricks and the spaces between trees with illusions; indeed Madara ended up going in circles a few times as the whispers in the air tried to pull him away from the center and his goal – the trees here wanted to protect whoever their steward was. (Madara couldn’t help but thing that this was what the Senju were supposed to be doing except done _better_ than he had ever seen them do, Hashirama certainly had never done the long time consuming hours of work that were needed to protect a place like this and was the first step towards showing the very air of the forest that you would protect it, the first step towards earning it’s loyalty.)

Eventually though the trees reluctantly released him into a tumble of nasty looking rocks and yet _another_ set of tricks and traps (count Madara impressed, _seriously_ impressed) that pulled him into dead ends and looping shoots until- at last- he caught another whiff of the scent he had come here for; the yokai he was chasing was holed up here, deep in the most protected place they could find and make and Madara wanted to know who could and would go to so much work over so long a time and then not come out to find Madara – because there was no way that there hadn’t been alarms in those traps so they had to know he was coming. The ledge he hopped onto was redolent with scent and feel of the presence and his heart rate ticked up as he dropped down into the den; it was small and rough but there was clear traces of refinement here and there in the shape of the desk and the neat stack of paper, whoever this yokai was they were smart and come from a position of better means than they now lived with. The second and third room provided interest but no yokai and Madara turned with some confusion to the curtained off fourth opening, one that was so low Madara had assumed it couldn’t lead to anything useful; the closer he got the more the sharp scent of active and burning seals scorched at Madara and when he pushed the curtain aside seals buzzed under his fingers when he edged inside, why couldn’t they have –

What?

There was, there was a seal array in the center of the small space that was glowing with a dull ember bright light and tucked in the center curled into a small shape was what must have been the yokai he was looking for, the yokai that had sealed themselves in this array with it’s burning _painful_ buzz. They must have done it to themselves given the set up and how recent the blood was, it hadn’t been more than a day old and the room with the seal array spoke of _planning_, as if this was an old procedure that this yokai was familiar with, which was just – made Madara sick to consider given that he could all but feel the pain and old hurt (and so, so, _so_ much loneliness, so much that it became a constant agony on the senses) filling the room and see that these weren’t kind seals.

Carefully Madara inched closer, not wanting to touch the seal lines but trying to get a better look at the yokai in the dim flickering light but only able to see the shape of a slim mostly human shaped person and the tip of a long white and gray tail. “Hello?” he called softly, uncertain that they were aware enough to hear him; he had to call several more times before the yokai shifted and the tail flicked sluggishly, “hey, you can hear me right?” he asked and the tail flicked over the dirt again as the shape shifted and then light caught on red eyes barely slit open, sending blood thundering through Madara’s veins. “Hey,” he crooned “can I come closer?” there was a long pause and Madara was starting to wonder if they had ever heard him past the haze he could see in red eyes, “You don’t want to” a rasping thready voice said and Madara bit down on the urge to lunge to their side anyway. “Why don’t I want to?” he asked as gently as he could, trying to get a good enough look at the seals to see what he could walk on a what he had to stay away from “…no one wants to…” the answer to his question was even thinner than before and Madara felt himself go still, looking at the seals with new eyes; yes, he could se it now, the way it was set up to be a containment net before anything, for some reason this yokai had locked themselves in a seal net in a tiny cave smelling of pain and – wait. Loneliness. _Loneliness._

“Is this because of the Call?” he asked, trying to keep his voice even and calm; the yokai didn’t respond but the uneasy shifting of the tail was dead giveaway, for some reason when the Call started this yokai locked themselves in here and hid, but only _after_ prowling his border for a while. “I’m Madara Uchiha” he said quietly and the other yokai shifted “The Daiyokai” Madara grimaced, he hated being identified with that even though there was nothing sycophantic or wanting in the thin voice. “I like to think I am more than that” he said and then cursed at himself when the yokai shifted back from him at the harsh words, “I didn’t – but you are a Daiyokai, you tend the land and your vassals and have power to watch over those you claim, you _are_ a Daiyokai” by the end of the sentence the other yokai’s word were wavering and exhausted and Madara blinked, brought up short by the definition of Daiyokai that he hadn’t heard for a _very_ long time. That it was more than a power level others would want, that to be Daiyokai was to tend that which you had power over, that to be a lord amongst his kind was to be a protector; somehow he had started to forget that in the messy clawing for power of the courts.

“Yes” he murmured “I suppose I am” silence fell and he could hear faint panting now as he looked around at the deep cut seals; this was not the first time the yokai had done this, nothing here was fresh so – how long had this yokai bound themselves in this net every Call, surely not _every_ time right? Surely not, not when Madara could already tell that it must not be a comfortable experience, to do it every few months for years was just…surely not. “Can I come closer?” he asked again, forcing his voice back to gentle and coaxing, the other yokai didn’t respond and Madara grew restless; this couldn’t be good, not when the fluffy tail was limp and there was no sound but the panting, even the red eyes were gone now. Frustration growing Madara took a deep breath and made a decision he hoped he didn’t regret, shifting until he could crawl over the seal to the other yokai and grimacing when his horns brushed the ceiling. The yokai shifted restlessly when Madara got closer and he saw a flash of white leg before it was tucked back as he drew closer “I’m going to touch you, I need to see if you’re ok” he murmured as gently as he could; the yokai shivered “You don’t want to” they murmured again and Madara hesitated but didn’t know what to do so he reached out and pressed his fingers to the shadowed neck, wincing at the cold skin and fluttering pulse.

“I need to get you out of this” he whispered, nerves twisting in worry (why was he so worried about someone he hadn’t even properly met?) and the pale yokai drew back farther shifting light showing the shape of narrow hips and long pale legs twisted in a dirt and blood stained robe “You shouldn’t” (that wasn’t actually a no) they whispered waveringly and Madara shifted closer, reaching out to run fingers through light colored hair, “Why not pretty eyes?” he crooned and the yokai shuddered, trying to press closer before realizing what they were doing and recoiling “The Call – you shouldn’t – “ Madara’s gut twisted harder, the seals did have something to do with that then. “What about it?” he coaxed and a tight sound far too close to a sob slipped out of the other yokai, “It’s so _strong”_ they whimpered and Madara forced himself not to snarl; he knew very well that other species felt the Call more keenly and if he was right this yokai probably felt it _very_ strongly indeed – a snow leopard tail was fairly distinctive and most yokai like that _needed_ company. He didn’t know why this yokai had done this or how long they had been doing it for but Madara was not going to put up with it, not when his gut said that they weren’t a bad person- quite the opposite really- and a Kirin’s instincts weren’t to be doubted. (Even so, this yokai was _his_)

Madara hummed softly and shifted closer, curling his fingers to scratch gently at the back of the pale head; “I don’t mind spending the Call with you” he murmured softly. The other yokai shivered and pushed closer, seeming just too tired to pull away anymore even though Madara was sure they hadn’t changed their opinion about this yet “I can’t” they gasped “I can’t have you say that and change your mind as soon as you see me, I just _can’t_ do this again” their voice dropped off into a faint whimper and Madara’s hands tensed in white hair; what the hell did he do now?


	50. Oh how I have missed you

Tobirama saw the gates come into view and forced himself not to speed up, he had been gone such a long time that he was almost vibrating with the need to be back with the people he loved. On the other hand he had no way to know how his return would be received, after all he had been gone over nine months and though he knew his brother would be overjoyed to see him- as would Mito though he hoped she wouldn’t be at the gates at this point in her third term- he wasn’t sure… He had left things in such an uncertain state with Madara that no matter how deeply he wanted to see the man he had given his heart to he had no reason to know if Madara felt the same. Tobirama just wished he had pushed a little harder to come to an understanding with Madara before he left, even if the other man didn’t feel the same it would have been easier (maybe) to tell him what he felt when they were still sleeping together instead of after this long an absence (and Tobirama had to tell him, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t). He knew that Madara probably thought of their…liaisons as a convenient way to blow off steam and his frustration with Tobirama himself and there was nothing more for the Uchiha in it than that; Tobirama had put up with it at first because he admired the man (and his wonderful chakra) and the sex was _very_ good, it was nothing more than that. (And then his foolish heart had to get involved)


	51. Come in from the Smoke

Madara staggered and only kept his feet under him by the grace of a nearby tree, gritting his teeth the eighteen-year-old forced in a deep breath in past the searing pain in his lungs; he wasn’t going to let that fucking bastard kill him, he wasn’t going to lay down and die on the edges of his clans lands – and it was still _his_ clan no matter that Yashiro had convinced so many of them to go against him. Madara knew that his uncle would never have been able to enact the coup if there hadn’t seen so many of the less bitter Uchiha hadn’t been out on missions; Madara was just glad that Izuna had been gone as well, he didn’t want to know whether his brother would have stood with him or not, not when he knew that part of the reason Yashiro had been able to convince so many to stand behind him was the clear rift between Madara and his brother. He should never have pushed so hard so soon for peace talks- gods of fire he had only been leading the clan for a little over a year!- but after Kimiko had died (gods, she had only been _five_) and Hashirama had become clan head Madara had pushed too hard; he should have known better. He _had_ known better but had pushed anyway and Izuna hadn’t pulled back _hard_, that was on him.

The Uchiha staggered, head swimming from blood loss and too fast breathing (was he hyperventilating? He was wasn’t he. _fuck_ he knew better than to act like this); he had to live, no matter what some of them thought Madara knew that Yashiro would get his clan killed with his fear and hunger for revenge (what did he even have to revenge? Or was he just afraid there would be no place for him in peace?) so he had to survive and get stronger, had to be strong enough to save them, to keep them safe, _had_ too (never mind that he never would have been wounded in a fight, he was far to strong to ever be brought down by any of his kin, it was only the knife in the back and his unwillingness to hurt his clan that had left him wounded). Madara coughed, the sharp stab of agony dropping him to his knees as he stared at the shifting light above him; time smeared and shifted, moving around him in swimming spinning strands light spun sugar, for a long time Madara couldn’t move or hear or think (poison. There must have been poison).

The shadows over him shifted and something soft and refreshing smoothed over his senses, he blinked and the world spun; when he opened his eyes again there was someone looking down at him, fluffy white fur and red-red eyes, _why was there a ghost leopard here?_ A soft sound from the leopard and softness brushing over his cheeks, something was cupping his cheeks and brushing back his hair, pressing against his neck; he wanted to ask the cat to curl up with him, he missed the clan cats and the way they would sit with him and purr softly until he was calm again. Sharp pain flashed though him like lightning and he went cold as ice around his lips; a high sound punched out of him and his hand snapped up around something that was touching his side, he wanted to writhe but pain held him still and then the cat was besides him, warm and firm and purring and that soothed him as the world swam away.


	52. The great power of cubs (or, “If something happens to this child I will kill all of you and then myself”)

It happens to fast for Kagami to keep up with. One moment he is stumbling through the forest looking for Madara-sama and his hugs because mom is _dead_ and Ai threw his stuffed cat in the mud and the world is just _so big_ and he wants Madara-sama because he has the best hugs and never is mean even if he’s gruff and a bit yell-y and he just wants Madara-sama and then there is _fire_. so, so, _so_, much fire and people are screaming and he’s ducking under a blade and then there’s blood and a glinting something headed at his face and then – a rush of air and he’s _way_ high in the sky and everything is white and blue and he’s moving so fast! It’s _awesome!_

Madara is keeping an eye on everything at once (as he normally does, an advantage to Hashirama and him never really trying to kill each other all that hard that he appreciates) when he hears the high pitched sound of a child crying and his eyes snap around just in time to see _Kagami_ trip over a mound of dirt and into the path of a blade - he’s going to die, there’s no question about it, Kagami is going to _die _and Madara will have to watch and – a rush of air and a blur of blue and then Kagami is up and out of the path of the blow but now it’s so much _worse_ because the Senju Demon has him and Madara had heard about Tobirama Senju from Izuna, he knows what the pale man is like. Except, Kagami is perched high in his arms and Hashirama wilts next to him, sagging almost to the ground in a dramatic droop rather than stiffening in worry; Tobirama’s eyes are fixed on the child and he absently bats away a blade in the fastest movement Madara has _ever_ seen (other than the one that must have gotten him _across an entire battlefield!_) and digs in a pouch pulling out what looks like a stick of candy and handing it to Kagami. The child blinks at him with huge tear filled eyes and wobbling lips but takes it (all the Uchiha go stiff, what if it’s poison?!) and sticks it in his mouth, eyes going even bigger as Tobirama pets his head gently “There we are little one, all will be well” the Senju murmurs in his rich voice (the Senju seem to sigh in resignation as a unit) and Kagami looks at the red eyes like Tobirama has hung the moon.

There was a rattle of armor and Tobirama’s head whipped around, fixing the Uchiha with a stern look “That is quite enough of that, you’ll scare the child” he said firmly and the Senju sighed, sheathing blades and picking things up with tired headshakes as though this isn’t_ fucking shocking _and clearly of the opinion that that was that, battle over. “Hashirama?” Madara asked, bewildered; the other man sighed gustily “There’s no arguing with Tobirama when he gets like this” they both watched as he…well, _fussed _was the closest word though that really wasn’t fair given how dignified he still looked even with a dirt-streaked sticky child on his hip “there’s just no point in trying” Hashirama sounded thoroughly put out honestly and Madara was just _so confused._


	53. ascend (and you shall worship me)

Tobirama cupped his brother’s face in his hands, “You have to let me go” he murmured. Hashirama let out a painful sob and clutched at his brother’s arms, ignoring the Uchiha forces completely, “Tobi…” he gasped and the White Demon smiled a little, brushing his brother’s hair back with gentle fingers “It’s time Hashi” he said, infinity gentle. Around the brothers that Senju shifted, closing ranks around them, generational enemies forgot as the clan sank to their knees and Hashirama sobbed, hands shifting restlessly on his brother’s forearms “Tobi please” he rasped but the albino just shook his head “It’s time” he said again. There was something happening, something odd, it almost, it almost looked like there was light shinning from the Senju and – Madara sucked in a shocked breath, _Tobirama had no shadow_.

“It will be ok Hashi, everything is going to be ok. I’ll remember our promise, remember, we can make things right. Everything is going to be alight.” Even as he spoke Tobirama’s voice changed, gaining an odd echo, as if he was speaking from far, far away. Hashirama whined, high and broken “Everything is going to be alright.”


	54. hold to a vow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Geas can be compared with a curse or, paradoxically, a gift. If someone under a Geas violates the associated taboo, the infractor will suffer dishonor or even death. On the other hand, the observing of one's Geas is believed to bring power.

Tobirama swore desperately, falling to his knees next to Madara on the asphalt, ignoring the painful bite through his torn jeans. Madara was unconscious already and even as Tobirama set the phone on speaker and dropped it next to Madara he knew he was running out of time; fuck it had been a long time since Tobirama had done CPR on someone, he had to hope was that even if half remembered and out of date it would still be enough to save the older man. Madara probably would rather die than have Tobirama touch him after what had happened but there was no way the albino was going to let the Uchiha _die_; no matter how bad things had been at the end he had never stopped loving Madara (was never going to, the words along the line of his spine were a promise of that). Over the beat of his pounding heart Tobirama heard Madara’s ribs creak and tried to ignore it, he knew CPR done right broke ribs but the idea of feeling Madara’s bones snap under his hands made him feel sick; the phone cracked and a sharp voice echoed out “An ambulance is on the way, just hold on” the 911 operator said and Tobirama gasped, throwing his weight behind the chest compressions and gagging as he felt the older man’s ribs give out under the pressure, bile bitter on his tongue.

“Are you there?” the operator asked and Tobirama struggled to speak around the tightness in his throat “Yeah” he gasped “his ribs just broke” he told the woman on the other end of the phone wetly “Good, you’re doing a good job, just keep it up a bit longer” she said soothingly and Tobirama forced himself to focus on her voice and his heartbeat and not how still Madara was or how his chest felt (god humans weren’t _supposed_ to be squishy like this). The sound of sirens came from a long way away but it was the sudden appearance of hands next his and a hand on his shoulder that jarred him out of his focus “Hey, it’s ok, we got him now” the paramedic said, pulling firmly until Tobirama fell back, scrambling away to give them enough space to work. They were here, Madara would be ok, it was going to be ok. He looked though blurry eyes at the paramedic, glancing around for the police he knew would be near. He needed to leave. He didn’t know anything useful, he needed to _leave_ before one of the officers recognized him (he didn’t want to leave Madara, didn’t want to stand up, wanted to curl in a corner and try to _calm down_).

Shaking Tobirama pushed himself to his feet, leaning against the dirty wall behind him and making sure he was unwatched (he might be stupid pale but he had long experience in making himself unnoticeable) before jumping and catching the bottom of the fire escape, pulling himself up in a smooth motion (not to fast, that would attract attention, fast movements meant something trying not to be seen, slow on the other hand…what fleeing person would move slowly?) and fading back into the shadow, taking one last look at Madara as he was loaded into the ambulance and the doors were shut behind him (doors between Tobirama and Madara were always shut); Madara would probably survive, his Geas would save him (it _had_ to, Tobirama wouldn’t live in a world where it didn’t) and that was what mattered. It was time for Tobirama to get out of here, get as far away as he could; someone would give the description of what he looked like and then the entire Vow Core would be after him, every Uchiha capable of serving and in possession of a Geas after his blood – just like they had been five years ago.

* * *

Madara woke slowly, his chest a dull ache on the other side of the pain killers. He blinked at the blurry ceiling, distantly confused; he wasn’t dead? He should be dead. He was _sure_ he should be dead. The Gold Brother had slammed his fist into Madara’s chest, he was sure of it and that was a death sentence – after all that was the only reason that the Gold Brother had left him dying on the ground, he had _known_ that Madara couldn’t survive that strike (Madara knew Madara couldn’t survive that strike, Geas helped healing or not). “-ara? Madara? Brother?” Izuna’s voice swam in his ears and he struggled to focus, turning his head with difficulty to look at his baby brother; “’zuna?” Madara rasped and Izuna laughed wetly. “Hey stupid” He sniffed “you’ve been out for a week, Kuro was here yesterday but she was called away when you stabilized” Madara blinked slowly at his brother (Izuna was far to good at telling Madara what he needed to hear when he woke up in the hospital, they had to much practice with this) trying to focus on Izuna’s face, looking for the guilt he knew would be there.

Izuna had never stopped feeling guilty, not after the accident that left him with a cane and prosthetic and unable to serve the Vow Core in the streets (not after he had left Madara with a Geas strained to the limit – almost but not quite violated and vulnerable for it ((_<strike>Tobira</strike>_))) and every time Madara got hurt Izuna beat himself up for months. “Not on you” Madara slurred, fuck this hurt, this was probably the worst shape he had been in in years but…”How ‘m I not dead?” Izuna bit his lip “I don’t know, someone found you and started CPR and they knew what they were doing, busted your ribs and everything” Madara’s eyebrows went up sluggishly, someone strong enough to break Uchiha bones was rare “Still shouldn’ have been ‘nough” he said with a sluggish tongue. Izuna nodded, “I know” he hesitated “your Geas…” Madara frowned, reaching for the power and feeling the mark light in his eye as he did so; Izuna was right, there was something different, something…it didn’t feel as strained as it used too and the stress on his body was much less. “What?” his head hurt, his Geas hadn’t been right ever since he – _<strike>Tobira</strike>_ – but now it felt, well, not fixed or whole but better than it had in five years.

Izuna touched his shoulder, bringing his attention to his brother and the Geas in Izuna’s eyes (he was lucky his Geas was versatile enough to be useful in a support position in the Vow Core, Madara’s had only ever been good for attacking- _not true, once there had been something else- no.-_ and he would be no good in support) as the younger brother checked over Madara and the lines of power in his bones and blood; “You should be able to get out on here in a week and be able to come in, maybe work in Central for a week or two, before you can go back out. It depends on what your Geas does.” Izuna said. Madara grimaced, _weeks_ on the sidelines, fuck he hated that. But it was better than it could have been and frankly after the last few years he was just grateful it would take as little time as it would; his impatience had been tempered over the years (too little too late, _<strike>Tobira-</strike>_) and he would bear this with as much as he could. “Get out of here Izu” he said, Izuna bit his lip but under Madara’s steady stare his shoulders sagged and he sighed, nodding quietly to the ground; six years ago- hell four years ago- Izuna would never have listened so easily but, ha, things changed, people changed and Madara was just glad their relationship was as good as it was, there had been a time when he couldn’t even look at his brother. Forgiveness had always been hard for Madara and though he had forgiven Izuna as much as he would ever be able to he would never be able to forgive himself (things would never have gone that far if Madara had been a bit more patient, a bit less hotheaded, if Madara had done things a bit better maybe…ah well, regrets were an old companion).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not an EMT or anything and my CPR is out of date and so yeah, this is almost certainly not accurate


	55. hold to a vow II

Tobirama faded back into the shadows behind the dumpster, the dark gray shades of his close fitting clothes (_not_ a catsuit, _really,_ it wasn’t Guðrún) helping him fade back, especially with his distinctive white hair hidden under a hood and shadowing his face, and ok, maybe if he was caught the clothes would be a dead giveaway of what he was but he had to get to work after this; taking the time to check and see if Madara was allowed to leave the hospital was a bad idea even if it didn’t make him late. He flinched back a bit farther as voices passed closer the ally he was hiding in and entered the hospital holding his breath as voices slipped out, sorting through the sounds “-Vow-“ “-ER, code-“ “-I said-” no wait, go back “-Core. Major Uchiha checked out – but he said they’ll be keeping an eye on things –” _fuck_, Tobirama threw himself back farther into the shadows and jumped to catch a hold on the old brick. Swearing to himself Tobirama scaled the wall as fast as he could; _of course_ they would be keeping an eye out for him, maybe no Vow Core had been on the scene when they found Madara but how many albinos were there running around? They had to know who he was, _especially_ if anyone got a look at the tattoos on his face. It…hurt, a little, to know that Madara was still angry enough to want to hunt him down like this (especially given that the Vow Core didn’t know about his…job), Tobirama had sort of hoped- though he hadn’t realized it- that in time Madara’s anger would fade and his soulmate might some day forgive him but if the Core was still so dead set on finding him that looked unlikely (it had never been, likely, not when it was Tobirama’s fault that Izuna would never walk without assistance).

The only good thing was that the Gold brother had left town for now to meet up with his brother in Suna, they would be back and something would have to be done (especially if the negotiations with the Shimura family panned out and the two men had the full strength of a mafia family behind them. Tobirama just hoped that the negotiations fell apart, his sources said there was still room for things to go wrong and he was just going to keep his fingers crossed for that (and maybe nudge anything he could to destabilize things). The dark city scape stretched around him as he slipped through the brick buildings of the poorer side of Konoha, and the albino drew in a deep breath, focusing his mind; he had work to do tonight and his sometime-partner wouldn’t be impressed if he couldn’t focus (Guðrún had little patience for things like that). “You’re late” the Hatake called as he rounded the water tower on the old apartment block, the loud noise of partying tenants enough to keep listeners anywhere but next to them from understanding their words; “I had something to check in on” Tobirama told her, shoving the hood back off his face and blinking in the sudden moonlight.

Guðrún examined him for a moment and let out a tired breath, “I heard that the Gold brother got into some trouble before he took off” she said. Tobirama looked away and bit back a sigh of his own; Guðrún was related to him- if distantly- on his mother’s side and for that Tobirama knew she wouldn’t betray his confidence – well, not without good reason (what she would consider a good reason was still up in the air though) “Do you really have to ask?” he said softly. Guðrún shook her head and let it go with almost visible exasperation, “Is it going to be a problem if there’s people looking for you?” she asked, “No, I don’t think so, they’ll be watching any place they think they can find me but I haven’t seen anyone in a long time – they don’t know where to look for me. Besides, I don’t intend to get seen” he reassured her. Guðrún grinned sharply, “Shall we then?” she growled, dropping into a crouch and leaning out like a wolf on the hunt as Tobirama slipped behind her like a shadow after lightning.

* * *

Madara frowned down at the papers on his desk, confused by the guard requests on it waiting for his approval; why were the Core watching the Hospital still? They knew who had attacked him, what else was there to know? They should be spending time looking for the Gold and Silver brothers, not watching a hospital he wasn’t in. “Izuna!” he called out the office, waiting impatiently for his brother and head of diagnostics to come in, Izuna was the one that had been requesting the guard after all; “What’s up Madara?” the younger man asked as he slipped into the office, glancing at the halfway closed blinds on the two glass sides. “Izuna why did you want a watch set on the hospital?” Madara asked, rubbing at his aching head and wishing he could make his office dimmer without worrying his officers; Izuna hesitated, a strangely hesitant look on his face “I- Madara I- I know we should have run it past you but I didn’t want to do anything until I had something to tell you” Izuna’s hands were twisting on his cane as Madara’s eye sharpened “Izuna. What’s going on?” “I- you know how someone was giving you CPR when the ambulance came? Someone saved you right? It- I didn’t think much of it until I got the officers written report and- Madara- Madara, he was described as young, tall, slim, and- and albino”

There was a roaring sound in Madara’s ears, and it felt the world had gone out from under him; “Albino” he whispered, staring blankly, at the window. Izuna shifted on his feet, “That’s what it said” he murmured and Madara forced his frozen lungs to take in air “Are- did they get anything else?” he force out past the lump in his throat. Izuna shook his head “No, they didn’t think to look more carefully they were more worried about you. He was keeping you alive when they got there and the EMT said that he only stopped when they pulled him back but otherwise no one tried to get a better look. He vanished while they were distracted, but then later your Geas was doing better and…” Izuna’s voice shook a little but not as much as Madara’s hands where he had them pressed against the desk. It, albino, young, tall, slim, helping Madara, _albino_, it- it _had_ to be, fuck, it had to be Tobira (it felt almost like a betrayal to even thank his soulmates’ name after everything, after what had happened Madara didn’t have the right to anything with Tobira anymore but…) didn’t it. Tobira had found him, had saved him, had wanted him to be ok. “Why are you keeping a watch on the hospital? If you’re still trying to catch him out-“ Madara said, “_NO_, no Mada, I’m not. ‘m not trying to do anything with him, or catch him, or set him up for something, Madara I just wanted to try and catch him and, apologize I guess. Tell him he should talk to you “ Madara stared at his shamefaced brother, not even a little sure what to think; Izuna ducked his head farther, all but mumbling “I know you miss him, I just wanted to help”.

Madara ducked his head down, and pulled in a tight breath, “Take the watch off the hospital, that’ll just make him think that he’s in trouble like last time. Gods Izu’ did you really think that you would catch Tobirama? Just…leave him alone. He might not have even been the person that saved me” Izuna drew in a shaking breath and Madara saw him nod out of the corner of his eyes before the younger Uchiha slipped out of the room. Slowly Madara closed his eyes, feeling out the pattern of his Geas burning in him just as it had ever since Madara (almost) broke his Geas vow; maybe it was better now, it was hard to say, and even if it was that didn’t necessarily mean that Tobirama would ever think of talking with Madara again. Fuck, he had work to do, the Gold and Silver brother were still out there and the Shimura family had been growing bold as of late – not to mention that Hashirama and Mito were trying to get ahold of black Zetsu and pin him down for his crimes; Madara had too much on his plate to sit and pine after a man he hadn’t seen in five years, no matter how much he wanted too (no matter how much Madara missed him).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow this turned into soulmates/police/superheros (with Tobirama as catwoman but not) when it was supposed to just be CPR cliche...


	56. hold to a vow III

Tobirama ducked under the swinging arm and kicked up hard and fast, the heel of his foot connecting with the ribcage of the woman as her knife missed him by inches; a low twist put him out of the way before throwing himself up and over the swinging arm of another man. Across the room Guðrún was laughing like a maniac as she tore through their opponents, Tobirama only barely contained his grimace at the spray of blood, Guðrún had never been the most…clean of fighters unlike Tobirama who preferred to leave the blood _inside_ his enemies if possible – it was so hard to get out of clothing, but then again that was why she always wore dark, _dark_ red. Another knife slipped past his cheek, grazing it right below the red tattooed scars and Tobirama bit back a curse, he needed to _focus_, his attention had been far too scattered ever since…(Madara) and he needed to get his head in the game. With renewed viciousness he went after the suited men and women around him, he wanted this fiasco over; Tobirama had been able to avoid a show down with the Shimura and keep out of their way but it had only been a matter of time before he came into conflict (Tobirama grimaced as blood sprayed into his leg casting an annoyed glance at Guðrún and her blood soaked side of the room – he used knives as well but _he_ kept it clean) with them and went after something they wanted; he could have negotiated with them, they would have liked him on their payrole but there was _no way_ that Tobirama was ever going to do anything that would put Madara and the Uchiha in danger.

The albino swung his karambit across the last man’s throat in a clean slice (_see_ he didn’t need to make a mess to kill someone _Guðrún_) watching as the man slumped to the floor with a dull thud; Tobirama’s lip pulled back in a disdainful sneer, what a mess. “Did you really have to do it like that cousin?” he asked, picking his way across the room trying to avoid the worst of the mess; the woman laughed roughly, “Oh don’t be like that Ghost. Or do you prefer Thunder God?” Tobirama grimaced and looked a way, he hated those foolish names, couldn’t the Uchiha have come up with better names for his him!? Talk about over dramatic names, that was Uchiha for you though. “Let it go _Red Wolf_” he snipped back, she rolled her eyes “Get over it Tobirama, making a mess means it will be a lot harder for the police or Core to track anything from this – can you imagine finding anything in this mess?” the albino looked around and had to give it to her, hiding any clues to them would be impossible in the blood soaked room; well, it would be very easy for them to tell that the Red Wolf had been here, this sort of mess was her calling card but they would probably not be able to tell that Tobirama had been there (and maybe that was the point, Guðrún was hard to read but it wouldn’t be that shocking, she was family no matter how tough her love).

He sighed and picked up the dropped hard drive turning it over in his hands and glad of his gloves as he pealed a bit of some unidentified organ of the hard casing “You’ll take it and clean it up? Get what we need?” Guðrún asked and Tobirama nodded, tucking it away in his pocket. He would take it to his lair and clean it up, make sure that there was nothing on it that could incriminate either of them or put the Uchiha in danger; god he was a soft touch for them. On the other hand his checking over everything before it was turned over has saved at least a few of them over the years and he could play it off as looking after his own skin; being part of anything that could be traced back to him would _definitely_ put him in danger and all criminals understood looking out for your own skin. Tobirama nodded at Guðrún and saluted her as he slipped out of the building by way of the rope dropped from the upper window, maybe Guðrún had a point about his obsession with high places…he just always preferred to go up if he could and most people didn’t look up when they entered rooms which was a definite advantage. Tobirama shook his head a little as he pulled himself out of the building, the night air a comforting brush on his skin as he left the museum and blood soaked room behind; god he was tired, he shouldn’t be this weary, all he had been doing was one small heist- not even a hard one- and time was that he could run a good three in a day and be fine. But that was back when he was – when things were different and the words, the most important words Madara had ever said- would ever say- to him weren’t a barely healed burn on his back.

His lair (called that because he could never bring himself to call it home and it was more of a work space anyway) was undisturbed and all the traps were set the way they had been when he left; probably he was still safe here (thank heavens, he didn’t want to move, it was _such a pain_ to have to move all his tech when his location was compromised). Tobirama dropped into the large squishy chair- the most expensive thing that he owned other than the tech- and stared at the large screens for a long moment, glancing at the screen devoted to the cameras around his lair and watching the blank screen; it wasn’t like it was going to change, no one visited him here, Guðrún might know where he lived but even if she had she had never come to see him – not a _bad_ thing but just…whatever. It didn’t matter. Giving himself a good shake the albino plugged the hard drive into the computer and then shoved himself out of the chair as he waited for the info to load. The computer dinged slightly just as he was yanking on ragged sweat pants and a too large sweatshirt (he should really throw it away, keeping Madara’s Core sweatshirt was probably creepy especially after five years) and Tobirama dragged his hand through his hair; time to get to work, he was on deadline.

* * *

Madara _wasn’t_ pouting, he wasn’t. That would be below him, he just…didn’t know what to do, everything in him screamed out to be hitting the streets looking for his missing soulmate but if Tobirama was still around and had never shown himself before he probably didn’t _want _ to see Madara again (and Madara couldn’t blame him for that). On the other hand…”Major?” a soft voice asked from the door and Madara looked up at Kuro standing in the doorway hip cocked and a impassive look on her delicate face, “You know I hate it when you call me that Kuro” he grumbled at his sister and she laughed as she walked farther into the room. “Izuna told me what happened, about Tobirama” she said as she dropped into the chair across form him “he said that you’ve refused to do anything about it” Madara grimaced, “Come on Kuro, he’s never indicated that he wants to see me in all this time. I don’t want him to feel hunted, I should just let him…-“ Kuro’s eyebrows flew up “_Really_ Mada? Really? and who was it that said they never wanted to see him again? As I recall it was _you_ who left him with hard words-“ “He said-“ “Oh come off it, of course he said somethings he shouldn’t have, it’s _Tobirama_, he’s never been one not to fight back. But it was you that started it and banished him from your life, ‘You mean nothing to me, whatever we were to each other is dead’ that’s what you said isn’t it?”

Madara swallowed hard, the fragmented look on Tobirama’s face as he said the cruel words flashing through his mind. “What do you want Kuro?” he asked lowly, she sighed and sat forward, reaching to touch his hand even as he slipped it off the desk “Madara, I’m just saying that he saved your life, that he’s your soulmate, don’t you think that it would be worth _trying?_ He not going to reach out, first not after everything. I think you owe it to him to swallow your pride and _try_.” Kuro said softly. Madara tipped his head back against the chair, staring up at the celling; Kuro was right, he was a different man in some ways now, less proud, more ready to humble himself for those he loved, “Maybe you’re right. I – I don’t know where to start Kuro” he murmured. Kuro smiled brightly “Just keep your eyes open brother, keep your eyes open for the shadows and don’t forget to look up – you remember how much he liked high places” Madara’s eyes narrowed on her “And is that a sister’s advice or a nudge from your Geas?” he asked narrowly, Kuro’s face went thoughtful “I’m not sure, I…a bit of both?” she said. Madara nodded, even without the backing of her Geas Kuro’s advice wasn’t to be ignored.

He nodded to her and turned back to his work as Kuro slipped out of the room; whatever happened with Tobirama he still had to keep an eye on the Shimura- they were up to something he just _knew_ it- and the Gold and Silver brothers were headed back this way and Madara had no intention of being caught by surprise again (never mind that if he could make things right between himself and Tobirama it would probably repair Geas somewhat and that might just be what he needed to insure the brothers weren’t a threat). Several hours and reams of paperwork later the ringing of his phone startled him out of his concentration; Madara turned to the phone with a grimace as he saw the caller, fucking Hashirama. “What do you want?” he snapped into the phone, Hashirama wailed dramatically launching into a overwrought rant about how Madara didn’t love him as the Uchiha tuned him out, waiting for the moment that the Senju’s voice changed and indicated that he was finally done with his fit; “Madara, have you heard about the brothers returning? They passed through Land of Rivers yesterday, they’ll be here soon and you know they’ll be after you – they don’t like to leave people alive” Madara sighed and rubbed at his forehead, “I know Hashi, I just don’t know what you want me to do. The Core can only watch for them and then hope to take them down somewhere away from too many civilians” he said, “And hope that the Shimura keep their noses out of it” Hashirama added “at least Black Zetsu is out of the country as far as Mito and I can tell so we can focus on this.”

Madara frowned, “Why is he gone? I thought he liked to take advantage of chaos” Hashirama sighed over the phone with a crackling sound “He does, and he has a nose for it. He must have something better to go after” Madara winced “That’s not good Senju” Hashirama hummed softly in agreement and Madare hung up wihtout saying goodbye. The Uchiha rubbed at his face and tried to focus on the feel of the soft leather on his face, a problem for another day.

“Major!” the shout had Madara leaping out of his chair, one hand reaching for his coat as he stormed out into the bullpen, “What?!” Fugaku was panting in the office, his young face flushed and blotchy “There’s- there’s been an attack, the Red Wolf” he panted and Madara swore under his breath, he _hated _Red Wolf cases, they never hurt anyone too badly unless they were on the shady side of the law but their cases were always a _mess_. “Any idea of the victims?” he asked as he pulled on his coat and checked his gun, Red Wolf cases didn’t leave anyone alive, but it wouldn’t do to be unprepared. Fugaku shook his head, swallowing hard- this had probably been one of his first cases the poor kid, what a rough way to start- “There- there wasn’t- anything to use to identify _anyone_” Madara shook his head and strode past his young clansmen, gesturing to Mikoto and Kenshin as he left, no _way_ was he taking Kagami on this one, he was still to young to see this sort of thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, this got long enough to be moved to it's own story, so any farther chapter will be posted there


	57. Tell me that you have forgotten (I do not think you shall forgive) (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> infiltration left a bitter taste in Tobirama's mouth but he had never intended it to come to this, had never wanted his betrayal to be this cruel. He was sure that that would be no comfort to Madara.

Ayumu Hatake leaned over his dark haired lover, brushing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth as the white haired man reached to tie his hair back with one hand, the long strands almost brushing his sleeping lover and running the risk of waking him. Ayumu regretted this, regretted it deeply, but there was no other way to do things, no other solution that Ayumu could think of and the betrayal was inevitable no matter how much he wished otherwise. It was for the best, the information that he was bringing back was what could stop this insane war and save so many people, save his brother, save his lover’s remaining brothers, but that didn’t make it easy to brake the heart of the man he loved.

“Sleep Madara” he whispered, brushing a kiss over one dark eyebrow; it was time to go. Lingering would do nothing but put them both at risk.

With a deep sigh Ayumu slid off the bed and then out the window, cracked to let a cool breeze in just as Ayumu had requested last night before pouncing on General Uchiha and wearing the other man out enough that he wouldn’t notice Ayumu leaving. The guards were easy to slip past, they had never met someone as fast as Ayumu and weren’t expecting it and so the slender man was out of the imperial palace and city and into the dark woods long before there was any light on the horizon. Once there he found a small spring and ducked his head, raising a short blade to cut off most of his waist length white hair, lighting it on fire so as to leave no trace even as the soft breeze brushed strands of his much shorter hair against his cheek; the rest was easy even if it ached to wash away Ayumu’s dark skin color (a special concoction to restore his own white skin even from they dye he had used which had stood up to even water and sex) and slide the dark contacts from his eyes dumping them into the water – he wouldn’t need to use them anymore.

Short white hair, too pale skin, pale red eyes, Tobirama Senju looked back at him out of the water as the slender man retrieved a small pot of scarlet paint from his sealing scroll and carefully painted on the red marks on his cheek and chin that he had worn for so long he was almost unrecognizable without them. It was time to finish this, the Hyuuga were waiting his report and he had been gone almost three months – maybe he would see his brother if Hashirama hadn’t done something to endanger himself (he didn’t seem to understand that his status as conscientious objector was riding a thin line, didn’t understand what it meant to Tobirama to keep his brother safe – all he cared about was his refusal to be weapon in this war, _especially_ if it meant fighting Uchiha who were only enemies by way of the Emperor’s orders).

Tobirama blew out a slow breath. It was time to go back to being a weapon, a tool to help the Hyuuga led resistance bring down the Emperor, he had had a chance to be a _person_ to be cared about and valued for more than his kill count, that would have to be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this was inspired by this fanart of Tobirama painting on his stripes but I'm not 100% sure this link is going to work So let me know if it doesn't.
> 
> https://twitter.com/sensKakashi/status/1144706920198168576?s=20
> 
> Also, I don't know the protocol for this so if there's something I should do other than just linking please let me know! like do I need to contact the artist or something? I don't have Twitter so that could be hard.


	58. Tell me that you have forgotten (I do not think you shall forgive) (II)

Tobirama slammed a hand onto the table, ignoring the flinches from many of the other people n the room, “Are you going to listen to me or not?” he hissed “You wanted intelligence and I got it for you, Madara Uchiha has no love for the Emperor, if he can be killed General Uchiha is primed to take his place and he will sue for peace. He has no love of this war and will be willing to see the need for Emperor Shimura’s removal, he can give you peace and he _will_ get the celestial mandate. Unless you think _you _should be Emperor?” the Hyuuga across from him looked away with a grimace, he knew well that no Hyuuga could ever sit in the Phoenix throne, not after the curse laid on his family by the gods after the clan broke a vow to get their eyes. Tobirama knew, more than anyone in this room, that Madara would get the celestial mandate and would be a good emperor, he would pardon the clans of the resistance as soon as he understood that most were only fighting because they had no choice when the despotic Emperor came to power. Those few that fought for personal gain might face some penalty but that was true no matter what, the resistance couldn’t win, better to make peace on their terms.

“And what about your family? What about the Senju? Everyone knows there has been a feud between you and the Uchiha for generations.” Tobirama stiffened a little at the Nara’s question, his voice bitter as he spoke “What Senju? There are almost none of us left, a handful of children the Hatake will take in and give their name, Touka who hasn’t been seen in almost a year, Hashirama who will renounce the clan and name if given a chance. I am the only true Senju left and let’s not pretend that we don’t all know that giving the Uchiha my corpse is the best way to make a goodwill gesture. I broke the trust of the Uchiha, I’m already dead” (there was no need to tell them that the Uchiha he had betrayed was _Madara_, they didn’t need the particulars of how he had gotten his info- after all he had never intended to end up in Madara’s bed).

The silence was ringing in the room and Tobirama rolled his eyes before folding his arms over his chest, “Make sure the Emperor dies- either do it yourselves or give the general an opening- and then send the Uchiha child to the imperial city with my corpse. That’s how you get peace” he didn’t stay to listen to the reactions to his words, turning to leave with annoyance. They would do what he said. They had no other choice, all that was to be decided on was how to kill the Emperor and then it would be done; they wouldn’t kill Tobirama before Madara took the Phoenix throne- wouldn’t do to loose a weapon before they had too- so he had time to get the former Senju children settled, it wouldn’t take much he had been working on it since Touka vanished and the oldest was only ten so they were receptive to a new family anyway, no yet bound to clan names and loyalty. Maybe he could even see Hashirama again? Though it might be better not to, the farther his brother felt from the family that raised him the better, seeing Tobirama wouldn’t help that. He paused and rubbed at his aching head, trying to pretend he didn’t have to swipe at his eyes as he did (it would be worth it. it _had_ to be. And he wouldn’t have to live without Madara long anyway. Did that make him a coward?), he should go see Kagami, the boy would be bored and Tobirama was working on teaching him about the classic scroll and stories of the gods – things that only Senju eyes had seen for years, relics of the days when they were priests with all the knowledge and blessings that entailed. Kagami was a smart boy and was handling being a prisoner of war very well, better than most and Tobirama was very pleased at his willingness to make friends with his captors instead of spitting in their faces; it spoke of a cleverness Tobirama more than approved of.

Mind made up the Senju turned to the boxy block of stone buildings striding through the doors without acknowledging the guards they were sued to him, and any way he was too recognizable for them no to know him on sight. His feet weren’t even a whisper on the stones as he approached Kagami’s cell, looking in at the tired boy; fourteen and already so worn, Tobirama wished he could have prevented this. “Kagami” he called lowly and the Uchiha’s head snapped up, his face lighting up as he saw his teacher at the door. (Kagami was smart, he knew more than they thought he did, he knew that it was Tobirama-sensei that kept him and the others safe- mostly him- it was Tobirama-sensei that made sure Kagami was warm and well fed and comfortable. That made sure he wasn’t hurting and wasn’t bored and was ok and while Kagami missed his family so, _so,_ much, and he missed the imperial gardens and he missed Madara-sama, he was happy here after a fashion and he _knew_. He knew that there was no way for this to end well. Tobirama-sensei was going to do everything he could to get Kagami home and make peace- Kagami had seen his notes once- but there was no way that a fighter like Tobirama-sensei was going to be allowed to live. Not a chance. ((and Kagami didn’t know how to fix that.)))

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [I Loved You A Thousand Times](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22427026) by [PeacefulDiscord](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeacefulDiscord/pseuds/PeacefulDiscord)


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